Amazon is preparing to lay off a substantial number of employees in Washington state in early 2026 as part of a larger global workforce reduction at the online retail and cloud services company.

Notices filed with the Washington State Employment Security Department indicate that separations could number in the thousands, affecting office locations across Seattle and Bellevue and including remote roles based in the state.

The layoffs are scheduled to occur between February 2 and February 23, with affected positions spanning software development engineering, program management, human resources and other corporate functions.

The planned cuts in Washington follow a previous round of layoffs announced in October 2025, when Amazon said it would reduce around 14,000 corporate jobs globally as part of efforts to ‘‘reduce bureaucracy, remove layers and shift resources’’ to strategic areas such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

The earlier reductions included about 2,303 jobs in the Seattle region, covering roles in Seattle and Bellevue offices.

Amazon’s filings with state authorities confirm that the company provided advance notice to affected employees, exceeding the sixty-day minimum required by law.

The company has stated that workers who secure internal transfers before their separation dates will not be laid off, and it is offering standard severance benefits including continued pay and health coverage for a transition period.

The proposed layoffs reflect broader structural changes at Amazon, which has publicly linked workforce adjustments to its ongoing investments in artificial intelligence, automation and efficiency gains.

Company leadership has said that some roles are being eliminated as part of organisational streamlining while also hiring in priority growth areas.

Industry analysts say these changes mirror wider trends in the technology sector, where firms are balancing cost pressures with investment in emerging technologies.

Local businesses and community groups in Washington have expressed concern about the potential economic impact of significant job losses by one of the state’s largest employers, noting that Amazon’s corporate workforce contributes substantially to regional employment, consumer spending and tax revenues.

The state’s economic development agencies have also highlighted resources to support displaced workers, including job placement services and retraining programmes as layoffs unfold.