Amazon to cut 10,000 jobs, raising ethical concerns

Amazon has announced plans to lay off an additional 10,000 employees. This comes after the company cut 18,000 jobs in late 2023. The layoffs mainly affect Amazon's retail and human resources divisions. These decisions are linked to the company's struggles with slow revenue growth and rising costs. Industry leaders are voicing concerns about the ethical implications of using automation and artificial intelligence to replace human workers. Gurmeet Chadha, a CEO of a consulting firm, criticized this trend. He emphasized the importance of valuing people over technology, referencing teachings that prioritize welfare. Amazon's CEO, Andy Jassy, mentioned that the layoffs are a response to economic uncertainty. He acknowledged the impact these decisions have on affected employees. During the pandemic, Amazon had rapidly expanded its workforce, hiring over 743,000 people since 2019. However, as consumer behavior changes, the company is now retrenching. The issue of layoffs is not isolated to Amazon. Other major tech firms have also reduced their workforce recently. For example, Meta cut 11,000 jobs, and Twitter reduced its staff by nearly half. Analysts believe that Amazon's rapid hiring during the pandemic has led to its current need to downsize. Chadha raised concerns about how tech companies present their workforce policies, criticizing the language they use to describe their employees. His comments reflect broader discussions in the tech industry about the balance between profit and employee welfare. Looking ahead, analysts expect more layoffs in the tech sector as companies continue to focus on cost-cutting. Some predict that this trend will affect job security for many workers in Silicon Valley, where once excessive hiring was common. The future of innovation may depend on whether companies prioritize their employees' well-being.