Although job cuts are a hot topic right now, it is worth recalling that Amazon laid off more than 27,000 employees between 2022 and 2024, and CEO Andy Jassy has openly stated that generative AI will reduce demand for certain corporate roles in the coming years. While the company has not disclosed a specific number of positions to be eliminated in 2025, it has made clear that automation will be one of the main reasons for further reductions.
Microsoft has cut more than 10,000 jobs over the past two years and is planning additional “targeted” layoffs in 2025. Executives at the Redmond-based giant have clearly indicated that tools built around Copilot significantly boost the productivity of engineering and sales teams, directly influencing staffing decisions—particularly in support and operations departments.
Salesforce has taken a similar path. After laying off around 700 employees, the company announced that some sales teams will no longer be expanded, as AI is taking over a large share of tasks related to customer service and lead analysis. At the same time, Salesforce is increasing its investments in AI-driven products.
Google has also reduced its workforce by tens of thousands in recent years and is now reorganizing teams to “maximize the potential of AI.” While the company avoids attributing layoffs solely to technology, executives increasingly describe AI as a factor that enables permanent reductions in organizational structures.
According to data cited by CNBC, more than 260,000 layoffs were announced across the technology sector in 2024 alone. 2025 is shaping up to be the first year in which companies openly communicate AI as a primary reason for job cuts—rather than merely a business-support tool. This is a clear signal that automation is no longer just a promise of a better, easier future, but an immediate driver of restructuring and emerging social challenges.
