Amazon cuts up to 250 jobs in devices unit, mostly software roles
By Pooja MehraIndustry Trends Analyst, Peepals Tech
Representative image: StockSnap / Pixabay
Amazon confirmed on October 28, 2026, that it cut up to 250 jobs, mostly software roles, in its devices and services unit, its second round of cuts this month.
What Happened
Amazon has cut about 250 jobs in its devices and services division, the unit behind Kindle e-readers, Echo speakers and the Alexa voice assistant, the company confirmed on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. A person familiar with the matter said the cuts affected no more than 250 roles, mostly in software development. It is Amazon's second round of job cuts this month, after about 1,000 roles were cut in its core retail business earlier in October.
Key Facts
- Company and unit: Amazon, devices and services division.
- Size: no more than 250 jobs, mainly software development roles, according to a person familiar with the matter.
- Date confirmed: October 28, 2026, after a news agency inquiry.
- Amazon's statement: a spokesperson said the company had "made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles" and that the changes would help it operate more efficiently and align with its product roadmap.
- An internal memo from Cherie Robinson, a human resources vice president in the division, referred to a "thorough review of our structure".
- Earlier this month, Amazon cut about 1,000 jobs in its retail division.
- The cuts came on the same day Amazon unveiled a new Alexa-powered alarm clock and photo frame, after several weeks of launches including new Kindle e-readers and tablets.
- Amazon did not say which products or locations are affected.
Why It Matters
The size of this round is small for a company of Amazon's scale, but the pattern matters for anyone building a career in technology. Big technology companies are trimming teams even while they launch new products and post strong results, often explaining the cuts as efficiency or a closer fit with their plans. The roles affected here are mostly software developers, the group many young engineers aim to join.
The cuts also come as hiring in India's IT sector is soft. Naukri's JobSpeak index for September 2026, released on October 6, showed white-collar hiring up 2% from a year earlier, but hiring in IT and software services down 4%. Within IT, postings for artificial intelligence and machine learning roles rose 11%, with the strongest growth at senior levels. The message from both sets of data is the same: general software roles are under pressure, while demand is shifting to specialised skills such as AI, machine learning and data engineering.
For students and early-career engineers, that points to a practical response. Building depth in an area that companies are still hiring for, such as data engineering, machine learning operations or cloud infrastructure, through projects, internships and recognised courses, is likely to matter more than a generic programming profile.
| Indicator | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon devices and services cuts | Up to 250 jobs | Confirmed October 28, 2026 |
| Amazon retail cuts | About 1,000 jobs | Earlier in October 2026 |
| Naukri JobSpeak: overall hiring | Up 2% year on year | September 2026 |
| Naukri JobSpeak: IT and software services | Down 4% year on year | September 2026 |
| Naukri JobSpeak: AI/ML roles in IT | Up 11% year on year | September 2026 |
Impact
Short-term: Up to 250 Amazon employees, mostly software developers in the devices unit, lose their roles; Amazon has not said where they are based or which products are affected.
Long-term: Repeated small rounds of cuts at large technology companies, alongside growth in AI-related roles, suggest a continuing shift in what skills employers pay for.
Who is affected: Software developers in Amazon's devices and services division, job-seekers targeting big technology companies, and students choosing which technical skills to build.
Key Takeaway
Amazon confirmed on October 28, 2026, that it has cut up to 250 mostly software jobs in its devices unit, its second round of cuts this month, as hiring shifts towards AI and data skills.
Questions and Answers
How many jobs did Amazon cut in its devices division?
Amazon cut no more than 250 jobs in its devices and services division, mostly software development roles, according to a person familiar with the matter. Amazon confirmed the cuts on October 28, 2026.
Is this Amazon's only job cut in October 2026?
No. Earlier in October, Amazon cut about 1,000 jobs in its core retail division. The devices cut is the second round this month.
Why did Amazon cut these jobs?
A company spokesperson said the changes would help Amazon operate more efficiently and better align with its product roadmap. An internal memo referred to a thorough review of the division's structure. The company did not give further details.
What does this mean for people looking for tech jobs?
General software roles are under pressure at some large companies, while demand for AI, machine learning and data skills is rising, according to India's Naukri JobSpeak data for September 2026. Building specialised skills through projects and internships may help job-seekers stand out.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Pooja Mehra, Industry Trends AnalystCovers Industry News & Trends and more for Peepals Tech. All stories by Pooja Mehra
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Pooja Mehra is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
