Amazon Layoffs: Offers 90-Day Internal Job Search to Employees
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Summary: Tech giant cuts roles but gives most U.S. staff 90 days to find new positions within the company.
Amazon is modifying its approach to layoffs, declaring that most of its U.S. employees affected by recent job losses would get 90 days to look for new opportunities within the firm before their departures are formalised. This decision is part of the tech behemoth's efforts to reduce costs while retaining key talent during current economic struggles.
The announcement follows huge layoffs at Amazon, which are part of a wave of employment reductions across the internet sector. Instead of immediate exits, most laid-off workers now have a three-month internal job search window, giving them time to pursue open roles across different teams. It’s a shift from past rounds where employees received severance or outplacement support, but no extended internal placement period.
An Amazon spokesperson said the program aims to help employees find “new opportunities across the company,” reflecting both business needs and a desire to keep skills in-house where possible. The company has thousands of openings across divisions such as cloud computing (AWS), retail operations, logistics, and advertising, which officials say offer real avenues for employees to pivot rather than depart outright.
Industry analysts describe the internal job search window as something of a best-case scenario for laid-off staff — more generous than typical layoffs but still a reflection of tightening labour markets in tech. For employees, the three-month run-up gives time to apply, interview and, in some cases, transition to new teams without the immediate loss of income and benefits.
Still, experts caution that a 90-day internal hunt isn’t a guarantee of continued employment. While it can ease the transition compared with immediate exit, competition for roles — especially at larger tech firms — remains stiff, with many candidates vying for limited positions. For those who don’t secure a new role within Amazon, the company says standard severance packages and support will still apply.
The layoffs and program changes come as Amazon, like other major tech companies, recalibrates after years of rapid hiring followed by economic uncertainty, weaker consumer spending and rising costs. Amazon’s leadership has said the company needs to streamline operations and focus on areas of growth while making the workforce more efficient.
For now, the 90-day internal job search window will be closely watched across the industry. If successful, it could influence how other tech firms handle future layoffs — blending cost-cutting with efforts to retain skills and support affected employees.
