Amazon is preparing to lay off around 30,000 corporate employees this week, marking its biggest job reduction since late 2022, when it eliminated about 27,000 positions. The move is part of CEO Andy Jassy’s ongoing effort to streamline operations and counter overhiring during the pandemic-driven boom.

Largest corporate layoff since 2022

The planned layoffs will affect nearly 10% of Amazon’s corporate workforce — roughly 350,000 employees — though it represents a small portion of the company’s overall 1.55 million-strong staff. The job cuts are expected across multiple departments, including human resources (People Experience and Technology), operations, devices and services, and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Managers in affected teams were trained on Monday to handle the layoff process before email notifications began rolling out Tuesday morning.

Efficiency push and AI automation

The restructuring comes as Jassy pushes to reduce “bureaucracy” and simplify management layers. Amazon has even introduced an anonymous complaint line to flag inefficiencies, reportedly leading to over 450 process changes.

The company’s increased adoption of artificial intelligence tools has accelerated the shift. Jassy previously said AI automation would eliminate repetitive tasks, potentially reducing headcount. Analysts believe Amazon is realizing significant productivity gains through these technologies, supporting its decision to trim staff.

Pressure on AWS and holiday hiring plans

While AWS remains Amazon’s largest profit driver, its recent growth has lagged behind competitors. AWS reported $30.9 billion in second-quarter sales — up 17.5% — compared to 39% for Microsoft Azure and 32% for Google Cloud. Estimates indicate AWS revenue rose to $32 billion in the third quarter, marking a slight slowdown.

Despite the layoffs, Amazon plans to hire 250,000 seasonal workers ahead of the holiday shopping season, maintaining the same level as the previous two years.

Stock reaction and internal reshuffling

Amazon shares rose 1.2% to $226.97 on Monday, just days ahead of its third-quarter earnings announcement. The company also reorganized a segment of its human resources division focused on diversity initiatives, promoting several employees into new roles.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced the tentative datesheets for the Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations for the academic year 2025-26. According to the notification, the exams will be conducted between February 17 and July 15, 2026.

CBSE said that around 45 lakh students are expected to appear in the board examinations, covering 204 subjects across India and 26 countries abroad.

Exams To Be Conducted

The schedule covers multiple categories of examinations, including:

• Main Examinations for Classes 10 and 12
• Examinations for Sports Students (Class 12)
• Second Board Examinations (Class 10)
• Supplementary Examinations (Class 12)

Along with the written tests, the board will also coordinate practical exams, evaluation, and post-result processes to ensure timely completion and declaration of results.

Evaluation Timeline

CBSE has outlined a structured plan for evaluation. The checking of answer sheets will begin about 10 days after each subject’s exam and is expected to be completed within 12 days.

For example, if the Class 12 Physics exam is held on February 20, 2026, the evaluation process will start on March 3 and conclude by March 15.

Tentative Datesheets

The board clarified that these date sheets are tentative. The final versions will be released after schools submit the final list of candidates appearing for the examinations.

The CBSE has urged schools and students to treat these dates as indicative and to continue their preparations in accordance with the tentative schedule.

The State Bank of India (SBI) has officially started the registration process for SBI Clerk Recruitment 2025, inviting applications for 6,589 Junior Associate (Clerk) posts. The online application window opened on August 6, 2025, and interested candidates can apply through the official SBI website.

Of the total vacancies, 5,180 are regular and 1,409 are backlog vacancies. The category-wise breakdown includes 2,255 for General, 788 for SC, 450 for ST, 1,179 for OBC, and 508 for EWS candidates.

Eligibility criteria

Educational Qualification:
Applicants must hold a graduation degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Final-year students are also eligible, provided they complete their degree by December 31, 2025.

Age Limit:
Candidates should be between 20 to 28 years as of April 1, 2025 (born between April 2, 1997 and April 1, 2005). Age relaxation is applicable as per government rules.

Selection process

The recruitment process involves three stages:

1. Preliminary Examination:
   A 100-mark online test to screen candidates.
2. Main Examination:
   Comprises 190 questions, carrying 200 marks, with a duration of 2 hours and 40 minutes.
3. Language Proficiency Test:
   Required for those who haven’t studied the local language in Class 10 or 12.
   

Importantly, only the marks scored in the Main Exam will determine the final merit list, subject to document verification and the language test.

Exam schedule

• Preliminary Exam (Tier 1): September 2025
• Main Exam (Tier 2): November 2025
  

Application fee

• General/OBC/EWS: ₹750
• SC/ST/PwBD/Ex-Servicemen: Exempted from fee
  

Salary and benefits

Selected candidates will receive a monthly salary ranging from ₹24,050 to ₹64,480 as per the SBI pay scale.