Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) layoffs will now increase to more than 18,000 roles as part of a workforce reduction it previously disclosed, Chief Executive Andy Jassy said in a public staff note on Wednesday.
The layoff decisions, which Amazon will communicate starting Jan. 18, will largely impact the company's e-commerce and human-resources organizations, he said.
The cuts amount to 6% of Amazon's roughly 300,000-person corporate workforce and represent a swift turn for a retailer that recently doubled its base pay ceiling to compete more aggressively for talent.
Amazon has more than 1.5 million workers including warehouse staff, making it America's second-largest private employer after Walmart Inc (WMT.N).
Its stock rose 2% in after-hours trade.
Jassy said in the note that annual planning "has been more difficult given the uncertain economy and that we've hired rapidly over the last several years."
Amazon has braced for likely slower growth as soaring inflation encouraged businesses and consumers to cut back spending and its share price has halved in the past year.
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