Companies like Amazon are betting they can slow hiring and still maximize profits

"Well, this is one of many cuts Amazon has made in recent years, and the CEO, Andy Jassy, has made clear that he wants the company to slim down. He wants to cut cost. He wants to find efficiencies. And what this means is more job cuts. This is a company that is looking to lean into artificial intelligence, like so many, and it thinks there's ways to sort of essentially do more with less here."

"It was interesting, you had one of the company's executives telling employees today in a note that the company would get even stronger, according to her note, by reducing bureaucracy and removing layers, shifting resources. This is what you hear a lot of companies say right now, which is they think they actually can keep doing this, can keep their business growing even with fewer people."

Amazon announced layoffs of 14,000 employees, about 4% of its workforce, citing cost reduction and investment in artificial intelligence. CEO Andy Jassy has emphasized slimming the company, cutting costs, and finding efficiencies, which leads to further job cuts. Company executives cited reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources to strengthen operations. The move reflects a broader trend across industries where large firms cut jobs, slow hiring, and pursue profits while expecting growth without expanding headcounts. Firms are betting they can do more with less by leveraging AI and operational efficiencies, maintaining revenue growth amid workforce reductions.

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