Amazon cuts jobs in robotics unit as layoffs continue: report

Amazon is continuing its workforce reductions, cutting at least 100 white-collar jobs in its robotics unit this week, according to a new report.

The affected division designs robots and other automation systems used primarily in Amazon warehouses, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

"We regularly review our organizations to make sure teams are best set up to innovate and deliver for our customers," Amazon said in a statement, without specifying the number of jobs cut.

DESPITE POSTING RECORD REVENUE YEAR ACROSS ALL DIVISIONS

The move adds to a series of large-scale layoffs announced over the past year. In January, the company cut around 16,000 jobs and signaled at the time that additional reductions could follow. 

That same month, Amazon halted development of a robotic arm known as Blue Jay that it demonstrated at an event in October. Blue Jay featured multiple robotic arms that could grab several items at once and was designed to help workers in smaller spaces.

Beginning with a round of about 14,000 white-collar layoffs in October, Amazon has eliminated roughly 30,000 corporate roles, citing efficiency gains from artificial intelligence and broader cultural changes. The cuts represented nearly 10% of its white-collar workforce, though the majority of Amazon's approximately 1.5 million employees are hourly workers, particularly in warehouses known as fulfillment centers.

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In addition to the broader cuts in October and January, Amazon over the past year has pared a smaller number of jobs in its devices and services, books, podcasts and public relations units, among others.