Tech companies have been on a layoff spree in recent times. Amazon came under scrutiny as it sent an internal email about layoffs and then quickly recalled it. The email, with the subject line ‘Project Dawn,’ was sent to staff at Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Tuesday, ahead of layoffs expected later this week. In the email, the company has not explained what the project refers to.
According to a report by Reuters, the email was signed by Colleen Aubrey, senior vice president of applied AI solutions at AWS.
The message referred to “organizational changes,” acknowledged the strain on employees, and stated that impacted workers in the US, Canada, and Costa Rica had already been informed that they had lost their jobs.
Employees in AWS, retail, Prime Video, and People Experience and Technology (HR) teams are expected to be affected, though the full scope remains unclear.
Meeting invite gets cancelled
Along with the email, AWS employees also received a team-wide meeting invitation for Wednesday. Slack messages viewed by Reuters showed employees discussing the message and questioning its timing. Soon after, the meeting invite was cancelled.
Influencer Amanda Goodall said that the email’s timing raised questions. “Insiders are telling me AWS, retail, and stores teams are all exposed. It 100% matches what I’m seeing in the workforce. If this was truly sent by mistake, it’s a hell of a coincidence… especially days before earnings, with investors watching margins, AI spend, and cost control.”
Layoffs were expected
Inside Amazon, the possibility of more layoffs was not a surprise. In October 2025, the company cut 14,000 white-collar roles as part of a broader plan to eliminate 30,000 corporate jobs. Roughly half of those reductions are still pending. At the time, Amazon linked the cuts to the use of artificial intelligence. Later, CEO Andy Jassy told analysts the changes were not financial or AI-driven, but related to “culture.”
Tech layoffs continue
Amazon’s actions come amid a broader tech-sector slowdown. Earlier this month, Amazon announced 16,000 job cuts globally, Meta cut 1,000–1,500 employees, and other companies including Pinterest, Vimeo, Autodesk, and Angi have also announced reductions. Companies are trimming staff to protect margins and continuing to invest heavily in AI chips, data centers, and automation
Communication misstep raises concerns
The way the email was handled has raised concerns internally, as communication errors during layoffs can damage morale and increase operational risk.
“Changes like this are hard on everyone,” Aubrey wrote in the email. “These decisions are difficult and are made thoughtfully as we position our organisation and AWS for future success.”
On Tuesday, Amazon also cut jobs in its Fresh grocery and Go market divisions, as it plans to close some physical stores and convert others into Whole Foods locations. The company did not disclose how many employees were affected.
While the total 30,000 job cuts flagged in October represent a small share of Amazon’s 1.58 million workforce, they account for nearly 10 per cent of its corporate staff. In an earlier blog post, Amazon HR head Beth Galetti indicated that more job cuts were likely in the future. For now, employees are left waiting after an email that arrived too early, and disappeared just as fast.
