Amazon India Layoffs: Phobia Grips Employees Amid Global Job Cuts, Says Report

Amazon India Layoffs: Phobia Grips Employees Amid Global Job Cuts, Says Report

November 19, 2022: Amazon CEO Andy Jesse says the mass layoffs will extend into the new year. He added the role will further diminish as leaders continue to make adjustments.

After Twitter and Meta, Amazon has said it is trimming its workforce as part of efforts to control costs, and that the cuts will affect 10,000 people, or 3 percent of its corporate workforce.

Currently, the exact number of affected employees in India is yet to be determined. A deep unease coupled with feelings of fear and uncertainty has gripped the white-collar workforce of online retailers in the country.

Given the tech giant’s huge workforce in India, estimated at 100,000-about 10,000 permanent employees, the cuts could go ‘deeper’ than a few hundred. Amazon Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andy Jessee informed employees in a memo on Thursday that the mass layoffs would extend into the new year.

“There will be further reductions in roles as leaders continue to make adjustments”, he said, adding that it was the “difficult decision” he and his team have made since succeeding Jeff Bezos as CEO last year.

Citing people familiar with the development, Business Standard reported that we will see the maximum impact of the global layoffs in India in the retail business.

“Retail will bear major losses. The safest place is the cloud,” a person familiar with the incident told the daily.

The exercise will be completed by January–the time of the year when company appraisals take place. The financial daily quoted another source as saying,

“He wants to ensure that there is stability in the headcount base ahead of the assessment season. The online retailer has put new hires on the back burner, “despite the need for backfilling,” the person added.

“This situation corresponds to the term ‘precarity,’ a state of insecurity and uncertainty because of conditions that are often beyond one’s reach.

Responding to precarity, which is now the norm of contemporary work and employment, will require genesis.

Relatedness, dependency and The Moral Responsibility of Human Life,” observes Saikat Chakraborty, Assistant Professor of Human Resource Management at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta.

Many industry experts believe that the layoff announcements of some reputed companies sent shockwaves through the industry.

The massive job cuts are also the latest sign of an economic slowdown in the previously booming tech sector.

Last week, Meta – the parent of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram – laid off 11,000 workers worldwide in the first staff cuts in the company’s history.

Arsh Goyal, who works with Samsung India, told the publication: “It’s heartbreaking to see my entire feed filled with news about Amazon layoffs. People have been fired at Alexa, Luna, Robotics, Lab126, and more.

There are many Indians who have recently moved to Canada and other places to work at Amazon. Comment if you have openings for the Canada region or India region for software roles at all levels.

Meanwhile, job restrictions also affected those who were nearing the final stages of selection. The daily cited the case of Vikas, who was shortlisted for a role at Amazon London and conducted his final interview.

“I got a mail from Human Resources (HR) about rescheduling my interview.” HR explained the situation in a 15-minute call, mentioning that the company has put a hold on hiring for an indefinite period.

Another person who was fired is Raj Kansgra, who has been a software developer engineer with Amazon for six years and works at Alexa.

“I came to know that I have been fired. I join many others who are experiencing the emotions that come with losing your dream job.”

Read more Business Stories at SugerMint. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn