Amazon announced that it will cut 250 jobs in October 2026 in its Devices and Services division as part of a wider roll-out of layoffs. The latest layoffs that took place on October 28 will primarily affect software development in the division that makes Kindle e-readers, Echo smart speakers and others.
Amazon’s second big round of workforce reductions in October, with roughly 1,000 employees in its core retail division losing jobs. The company is now reviewing its organisational structure and staffing to align with its product plans, the company said.
Amazon confirmed the decision when asked by Reuters about it, saying it had made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles. The company wouldn’t say how many employees were affected, but one person familiar with the situation estimated 250.
Amazon Layoffs primarily affect Software Development Roles.
The latest job cuts are concentrated in Amazon's Devices and Services division, which makes and supports consumer technology products including Kindle e-readers, Echo smart speakers and Alexa-enabled devices.
According to reports, software development positions are most affected. But Amazon has not revealed the layoffs by job title, location or department.
Company employees were informed of the decision in early-morning emails and text messages on Wednesday, October 28. Cherie Robinson, a vice president in the division’s human resources team, is quoted in media reports.
The company did review its organisational structure before deciding to reduce roles, the message said.
The Devices and Services division is globally distributed, but the location of the latest job cuts is unclear. It is therefore unclear the number of employees in India, if any, who are now impacted by this round.
Why does Amazon cut jobs?
Amazon said the workforce reductions are needed to help the company operate more efficiently and to align its staffing with its product roadmap.
The decision follows a period of product launches in the company’s devices business. Amazon recently announced new Kindle e-readers and tablet computers, and also introduced new Alexa-based devices such as a new bedside clock and photo frame.
The timing of the layoffs is indicative of how team restructuring can occur even as companies continue to develop and launch new products. If you look at the business model and how teams are structured and how much work you’ve got to do and what kind of people to work with you there will be a change in team structure, responsibilities and staffing requirements as your product strategy changes for the better.
Amazon has not said that artificial intelligence is the cause of these job cuts in particular. Although the company is investing heavily in AI and has discussed the growing role of the technology in software engineering, the reason for the current reductions is organisational efficiency and product priorities.
Second Major Round of Amazon Layoffs in October.
The Devices and Services cuts follow Amazon’s decision earlier this month to cut about 1,000 positions in its retail arm.
The company had also announced around 16,000 job cuts in January 2026 and was out of work reduction of about 14,000 jobs in October 2025. This is the result of a long period of workforce restructuring at the tech and e-commerce firm.
The new cuts come as job security in the technology sector is being examined by companies and organisations in terms of cost, organisation and investment priorities to develop new products and services.
But the reasons for workforce reductions can vary greatly between business units. The recent Devices and Services layoffs should not be interpreted as evidence that all Amazon divisions are facing the same challenges or that the company has announced another company-wide reduction of the same scale.
What do the layoffs mean for Indian Tech Employees?
The impact of the latest layoffs on Amazon's Indian workforce remains unclear. The company did not say exactly how many engineers in India were affected by the Devices and Services restructuring.
The previous October cuts in Amazon's retail business reportedly affected employees in several markets, including India. But that does not establish that the latest round has had a similar geographical impact.
For Indian technology professionals, this means uncertainty is present in the organizational change of big multinational companies. And employees would benefit from keeping their technical skills current; they can continue to develop and grow skills relevant to changing business goals and monitoring opportunities at all levels of the company and its employees.
At the same time, the latest announcement doesn’t indicate that all software development jobs are at risk. Hiring needs are driven by the product industry, technology strategy, and business requirements.
Amazon’s Workforce Plan and its future.
Amazon's latest layoffs come as the company continues to develop consumer devices and expand its investments in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other technologies.
The company has said the new staffing changes are to better manage resources and align resources with its product roadmap. What would happen if more cuts come to Amazon?
The immediate impact of the announcement is the loss of up to 250 positions in the Devices and Services division, primarily in software development. It still hasn’t been confirmed how many teams might be impacted, where employees are located and any additional restructuring.
For now, however, the move is the latest targeted workforce reduction at Amazon in a month of widespread retail changes that had already come about.
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