Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon devices, announces the new Echo Dot at The Spheres in Seattle on September 20, 2018. – Amazon weaves its Alexa digital assistant into more services and devices as it unveiles new products powered by artificial intelligence including a smart microwave and dash-mounted car gadget. (Photo by Grant HINDSLEY / AFP) (Photo credit should read GRANT HINDSLEY/AFP via Getty Images)
Earlier, Dave Limp, head of Amazon’s hardware department, told his teamconfirmed, the company will “consolidate some of the teams and projects,” so “some roles will no longer be needed.” “I’m sad to tell you this, because we all know it means the company will lose a lot of good people in the devices and services business,” Limp wrote in the letter. “While I know this news is difficult to digest, but Still want to emphasize, the device and service division remains one of Amazon’s important investment areas, and we will continue to create new products for customers.”
Limp did not say anything about the scale of the layoffs.But according to the news that broke out before the New York Times, there may be as many asten thousandjobs are affected. Limp said that Amazon will provide “a series of assistance including severance pay, transition subsidies and external job placement support” for the laid-off employees, and some employees will also have the opportunity to change jobs within the company. In a follow-up public official statement, Amazon representatives acknowledged that some teams are “going through adjustments” “in light of the current macroeconomic environment (and the large-scale hiring over the past few years).” That means “certain roles will no longer be needed,” but Amazon “does not make (layoff) decisions lightly” and will “work hard to support” any employees who may be affected.