Amazon announces new layoffs in books division, including Kindle and Goodreads roles

Amazon is reportedly conducting another round of layoffs, this time impacting its Books division, including positions at Goodreads and Kindle.

The company confirmed that fewer than 100 employees were affected in the latest cut.

These layoffs are part of Amazon’s ongoing efforts to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.

They follow recent job reductions in the Devices and Services unit, the Wondery podcast division, and various stores and communications teams.

CEO Andy Jassy has been actively working to reduce bureaucracy and cut management layers throughout the company.

A company spokesperson said, “As part of our ongoing work to make our teams and programs operate more efficiently and to better align with our business roadmap, we’ve made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles within the Books organization.”

In a recent all-hands meeting, Jassy emphasized that building large teams and personal fiefdoms is not a path to advancement at Amazon.

Instead, the company rewards employees who achieve more with fewer resources.

Jassy also highlighted Amazon’s aim to maintain the agility of “the world’s largest startup” despite its massive scale.

As part of this effort, the company recently increased the ratio of individual contributors to managers by 15% through team consolidations and shifting some managers into individual contributor roles.

Additionally, Jassy stressed the importance of meritocracy over bureaucracy within Amazon’s corporate culture.

He shared that a dedicated “No Bureaucracy” email alias, which has collected over a thousand employee suggestions, has already led to 375 process improvements.

This latest move signals Amazon’s continuing commitment to creating a leaner, more efficient organization aligned with its strategic goals.