1993 – IBM conducts a 50,000‑job layoff after shifting away from mainframes, establishing a precedent for tech‑driven workforce reductions [2].

2014 – Microsoft eliminates 18,000 positions following its Nokia acquisition, illustrating how large tech firms cut staff during strategic pivots [2].

2023 – Amazon carries out its previous biggest reduction, cutting 27,000 jobs as part of a post‑pandemic restructuring [10][11].

June 2025 – CEO Andy Jassy tells investors that generative artificial intelligence will “trim the corporate headcount” in coming years, signalling a strategic shift toward AI‑powered operations [10][11].

Oct 2025 – Amazon removes 14,000 corporate roles, the first major cut since 2023, framing the move as a way to “run the business like the world’s biggest startup” and to ready the firm for AI‑driven change [3][4].

Nov 2025 – In a pre‑Thanksgiving email, Jassy urges staff that “it’s time to rethink everything we’ve ever done,” reinforcing a culture of continuous cost‑saving and efficiency [1].

Jan 9, 2026 – Amazon files a WARN notice covering 1,001‑2,500 workers, with layoffs slated to begin as early as Jan 26 in Washington and later in California, Virginia and New Jersey, as part of ongoing restructuring [5].

Jan 26, 2026 – The WARN‑based layoffs are expected to start, marking the first wave of the 1,001‑2,500‑job reduction announced on Jan 9 [5].

Jan 28, 2026 – An internal “Project Dawn” email drafted by AWS SVP Colleen Aubrey leaks via a calendar invite, revealing that the upcoming 16,000‑job cut is framed as a continuation of a year‑long effort to “reduce layers, increase ownership and move faster for customers” [1].

Jan 28, 2026 – Senior Vice President Beth Galetti posts a blog announcing 16,000 corporate layoffs—the largest since 2023—stating the company is “reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy” and that “broad reductions every few months are not part of the plan” [4][7][11].

Jan 28, 2026 – Amazon simultaneously announces the closure of all Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores nationwide, with the shutdown scheduled for Feb 1, 2026, to concentrate resources on higher‑margin formats [3][9].

Jan 28, 2026 – CEO Andy Jassy reiterates his five‑day‑a‑week office mandate and says the layoffs stem from “culture” and the need to eliminate excess layers, not from financial distress, as the company reports $180 billion in Q3 sales and $21 billion profit [1][10][11].

Jan 29, 2026 – Amazon’s Q3 earnings release shows $180 billion in net sales and a 40% profit jump to $21 billion, underscoring that the 16,000‑job reduction occurs despite strong financial performance [9][11].

Jan 31, 2026 – In a memo to employees, Galetti links AI to the reorganization, calling it “the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the internet,” while Rutgers professor Zeki Pagda warns that “retraining a workforce built for manual logistics into generative‑AI agents is a huge challenge” [2].

Feb 2, 2026 – A WARN filing reveals Amazon will permanently separate 2,198 Washington employees on Apr 28, 2026, as part of the broader 16,000‑job nationwide cut and coincides with the closure of Fresh and Go stores in the state [8].

Apr 28, 2026 – Amazon completes the separation of the 2,198 Washington workers, finalizing the state‑level component of its 2026 layoff plan [8].