Amazon to reportedly lay off some Canadian employees by end of day

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Amazon layoffs have begun.

In a memo to staff obtained by Reuters, the e-commerce giant said it will lay off some staff in Canada, the US, and Costa Rica by the end of Wednesday.

This is part of the company’s plan to cut 18,000 positions, which Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy said is the outcome of further reviews that have been “more difficult given the uncertain economy” and that Amazon has “hired rapidly over the last several years.”

“[We’re] deeply aware that these role eliminations are difficult for people, and we don’t take these decisions lightly or underestimate how much they might affect the lives of those who are impacted,” stated Jassy in a message to employees made public on January 4.

Daily Hive asked Amazon on Wednesday to confirm that the company will have laid off some staff by the end of the day and how many Canadians might be affected by these cuts.

The spokesperson redirected us to Jassy’s initial announcement.

Our CEO Andy Jassy just shared a message to Amazon employees. https://t.co/cw5Dl6WY84

— Amazon News (@amazonnews) January 5, 2023

Jassy said that while several teams are impacted, the majority of the eliminations are in its Amazon Stores (which includes the company’s entire retail business along with its e-commerce business) and its People Experience and Technology Solutions (PXT Solutions) team.

This news comes after the tech giant reportedly announced layoffs in November last year. Though Amazon did not confirm it, The New York Times reported the number of employees affected could be approximately 10,000, which would making it the largest number of job cuts in the company’s history.

It affected those who worked on Amazon devices including voice-assistant Alexa, as well as its retail division and human resources.

Some staff in across Canada have already posted the news of their layoff on LinkedIn.

“I don’t have much to say at this point as I’m going through an emotional roller-coaster,” wrote “Trying to stay hopeful and positive in this difficult time.”

“While my time at Amazon was short, I have learned a lot, met some talented and smart people and I am grateful for the growth I experienced,” wrote Sarah Wall, a former senior program manager with Amazon.

These layoffs begin just as Amazon’s The Post office complex in Vancouver is expected to be finished this year.

Editor’s note: This article initially reported that Amazon announced 10,000 layoffs in November, as reported in The New York Times. Amazon had not confirmed this number. The error has been corrected.

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