SAN FRANCISCO, March 5, 2026, 05:29 (PST)
- Amazon has cut jobs in its robotics division, according to people familiar with the situation, with at least 100 positions eliminated. The company confirmed the layoffs.
- These layoffs build on a downsizing drive launched in October, which was followed by a bigger wave in January.
- Executives describe the changes as a push for greater efficiency—even within automation-focused teams.
Amazon.com, Inc trimmed headcount in its robotics division this week, confirming staff cuts that impacted at least 100 corporate roles, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation. The layoffs landed in a team responsible for developing warehouse automation technology for the company’s logistics operations. 1
Amazon continues to shrink its corporate workforce, with new cuts following previous layoffs, despite the company’s heavier reliance on automation to speed up and reduce the cost of moving goods. For investors, this is one more sign of just how deep CEO Andy Jassy’s drive for efficiency goes—and which “strategic” bets remain on the table.
Amazon’s robotics division builds robots and conveyor-style systems for shuttling goods inside its fulfillment centers—the sprawling warehouses where orders get boxed and shipped. Back in January, the company stopped work on Blue Jay, a robotic arm system it had previewed at an event in October, according to people familiar with the matter.
Amazon kept quiet on the exact number of jobs cut. A spokesperson told GeekWire the company routinely looks at its structure and opted to trim a “relatively small number” of positions in robotics. Those let go are set to receive severance, continued health benefits, and job placement help. 2
The message landed differently in the robotics division. Scott Dresser, Amazon Robotics VP, described the layoffs as “difficult but necessary” in a note to staff, according to Business Insider. He said robotics is still a “strategic priority.” 3
This latest robotics job cut comes after a January downsizing that wiped out roughly 16,000 positions, and an earlier move in October that axed about 14,000 white-collar jobs. Amazon has tied these decisions to AI-driven efficiency improvements and efforts to slim down its management structure.
Late January saw human resources head Beth Galetti assure staff that Amazon wasn’t gearing up for regular waves of job cuts every few months. In her memo, she explained that individual teams would continue reviewing their own operations. The note also detailed transition support—severance pay and internal job search time offered to many U.S. workers. 4
Amazon is ramping up its push for faster service to consumers. The company rolled out “Amazon Now” in Brazil this week, offering 15-minute delivery for groceries and essentials in Sao Paulo, with plans to bring the service to seven more cities by March 9. “Brazil has become a priority among the countries in which Amazon invests in the world,” said country head Juliana Sztrajtman, as the company contends with competitors like MercadoLibre and Sea’s Shopee. 5
Amazon shares jumped roughly 3.9% before the bell Thursday, trading at $216.82, following a last close near $208.72. Investors have been quick to react to any signs around cost discipline, with the company continuing to invest heavily in infrastructure aimed at speeding up delivery times and supporting more data-intensive services.
Amazon hasn’t specified the scale of its robotics cuts so far, and the division handles everything from developing new machines to backing up equipment already in its warehouses. Should layoffs widen, cost-saving fulfillment projects might lose momentum — and if those falter, the impact on delivery times and margins tends to come through fast.
Over the past year, Amazon trimmed headcount across devices and services, books, podcasts, and public relations. Management says it’s still evaluating teams, with further changes possible as resources shift to businesses the company deems strategic.
