Amazon to go on devastating firing spree as Bezos promises wealth giveaway
Seattle, Washington - Amazon is considering cutting up to 10,000 jobs in a devastating round of cuts, the New York Times reported Monday.
The retailer wants to start cutting jobs this week, the Times said, citing people with knowledge of the matter.
That would constitute Amazon's largest-ever job cuts, according to the report. There was no initial comment from Amazon.
The cuts would focus on Amazon’s devices unit, including the voice-assistant Alexa, as well as at its retail division and in human resources, according to the Times.
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Amazon has a global work force of more than 1.5 million, which means that the cuts would affect less than 1%.
But ahead of the Christmas shopping season, for which Amazon often hires reinforcements, it would be another signal of the end of the tech boom. A significant number of companies in the industry have recently announced lay-offs, including Elon Musk's recent firing spree at Twitter.
Amazon already warned investors of a weak fourth quarter and decided on a hiring freeze in early November in light of increased inflation and recession risks.
Jeff Bezos says he'll give away most of his wealth
The news came on the same day as a CNN exclusive interview with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, during which he announced plans to give away most of his enormous wealth.
"Do you plan to give away the majority of your wealth in your lifetime?" reporter Chloe Melas asks the billionaire during the interview.
"Yeah, I do," Bezos responds, adding: "The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way."
According to Bloomberg, the entrepreneur is worth $124 billion. Most of this has come through Amazon, which has become the world's second-biggest retailer.
At the same time, the company has faced constant criticism for low pay, poor and often dangerous working conditions for its employees, and constant union busting.
Cover photo: Collage: REUTERS