Amazon layoffs employees: Long-serving staff speak out on job cuts

Amazon layoffs employees have once again put the spotlight on job security in Big Tech. Recent job cuts have affected thousands of workers, including long-serving employees who say efficiency, experience, and shifting priorities led to their exit.

The layoffs come as Amazon continues to restructure teams while investing in selected growth areas. Personal accounts shared online have added a human dimension to what is often discussed only in numbers.

Amazon layoffs employees highlight personal impact of restructuring

One of the most widely shared stories came from Diana L., a former Amazon employee with more than a decade at the company. She said she was laid off for the second time after her role was gradually automated following process improvements she helped design.

Diana shared her experience on LinkedIn in a brief but reflective post. She noted that her work focused on building clean and efficient systems. Over time, those systems reduced the need for human involvement. She said the outcome was not driven by poor performance, but by changing operational needs.

According to her public profile, Diana spent about 11 years at Amazon and received promotions during her tenure. She was among roughly 16,000 employees impacted by the latest round of cuts. In her post, she said she remains open to new in-person or remote roles and encouraged her network to reach out.

Another account came from Nick Plumb, an eight-year Amazon veteran and senior leader. Plumb shared a longer explanation on social media, stating clearly that his layoff was not linked to performance or artificial intelligence.

Plumb said he worked as an L7 leader on global AI enablement and helped build systems used by senior executives. Despite his role and experience, his position was eliminated during organisational changes. He argued that seniority and cost have quietly become risk factors in the current job market.

In his view, experience is increasingly treated as a liability rather than an asset. Companies, he said, often replace higher-cost roles with lower-cost alternatives, sometimes across borders, while describing the move as efficiency.

Broader context behind Amazon layoffs employees decisions

Amazon has said the layoffs are part of broader efforts to simplify structures and reduce layers of management. In internal communication to affected staff, the company said roles were removed after reviewing priorities and future focus areas.

The company stated that most US-based employees will receive a 90-day period to apply for internal roles. Those who do not transition will be offered severance, health benefits, and outplacement support.

Amazon has also said it does not plan to announce frequent large-scale layoffs. However, teams will continue to reassess their structure as business needs evolve. The company maintains it will keep hiring in strategic areas while trimming headcount elsewhere.

The stories shared by former employees reflect a broader pattern across the tech industry. Automation, cost pressure, and global labour flexibility are reshaping how roles are valued. Even high-performing and long-serving employees are finding fewer guarantees of stability.

For workers, the impact is deeply personal and often sudden. For companies, the language remains focused on efficiency and long-term strategy. The gap between these perspectives continues to fuel unease across the sector.

Amazon layoffs employees remain a defining issue for Big Tech in 2026, raising questions about how experience, efficiency, and job security can coexist in a rapidly changing workplace.