Amazon inadvertently confirmed another round of corporate layoffs on Tuesday after an internal email announcing job cuts was sent ahead of schedule. The message, authored by Colleen Aubrey, Senior Vice President of Applied AI Solutions at Amazon Web Services (AWS), referred to the restructuring effort as “Project Dawn” and triggered confusion among employees worldwide.
The premature email stated that workers in the U.S., Canada, and Costa Rica had already been notified of their termination, though the official announcement was planned for Wednesday. Several employees described the incident as chaotic, with internal Slack channels flooded by messages from staff unsure whether they were affected or included by mistake. A follow-up meeting invitation tied to the email was quickly withdrawn.
Amazon has yet to issue a public comment on the misfired communication or provide details about the scope of the layoffs. However, the cuts are understood to be part of a broader plan to reduce roughly 30,000 corporate roles a move representing nearly 10% of its office workforce.
CEO Andy Jassy has framed the restructuring as a cultural correction rather than a cost-cutting response, pointing to excessive bureaucracy and redundant management layers. The reductions will span AWS, retail, Prime Video, and the company’s human resources unit.
Separately, Amazon plans to shutter its Fresh grocery and Go convenience store operations as it refocuses on online delivery and its Whole Foods brand. The company is expected to provide further details in its upcoming earnings report on February 5.
