Amazon layoffs hit AWS New Zealand staff: reports

Even New Zealand employees aren't safe from Amazon's sweeping layoffs, as new reports emerge that some roles under Amazon Web Services (AWS) will be made redundant.

Stuff reported that AWS carried out a midday meeting last week to announce that it was proposing to cut jobs.

A spokesperson for AWS said that the role reductions were driven by "reprioritisation decisions" which required them to reallocate resources.

"In most cases, this involved people shifting projects, priorities, or teams, but in some cases, we didn't have the right skill match for these priorities," the spokesperson said as quoted by Stuff.

A consultation period on the proposed cuts were held until Tuesday, according to the report, as the AWS declined to announce how many roles could be potentially affected. The company has over 100 staff in its two-floor office in Auckland, which opened in 2021.

Reports of the job cuts in New Zealand came after Amazon announced in January that it would cut more than 18,000 jobs, which was followed by the announcement of an additional 9,000 layoffs in March.

The second round of firings hit the company's human resources, AWS, advertising, and the Twitch livestreaming service groups.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in January previously described their decision to cut jobs as "difficult."

"To those impacted by these reductions, I want you to know how grateful I am for your contributions to Amazon, and the work you have done on behalf of customers. You have made a meaningful difference in a lot of customers' lives," Jassy said in a statement.

New Zealand layoffs

Just like the rest of the world, employers across New Zealand have been making declarations of job cuts amid global economic uncertainty.

Te Pūkenga, the largest vocational education provider in New Zealand, recently said it would be laying off more than 200 jobs, most managerial roles.

New Zealand-based software accounting firm Xero also said it plans to cut up to 800 jobs as part of cost-cutting measures, Radio New Zealand reported.

"Several hundred" roles at the University of Otago will also be cut, with the institution opening applications for voluntary redundancies, Stuff reported.

The vice-chancellor at the Auckland University of Technology recently warned that other universities would also make "some hard decisions" while in "very difficult places."