In a continued effort to streamline operations, Amazon has laid off a small group of employees within its Books division, including teams working on Kindle and Goodreads. This move forms part of a broader restructuring strategy under CEO Andy Jassy, aimed at tightening internal operations and improving cost-efficiency.
According to internal reports, fewer than 100 roles have been affected in this latest round of job cuts. The decision follows earlier workforce reductions across Amazon’s devices and services segments, such as the Alexa voice assistant team, the Wondery podcast business, retail outlets, and communications units.
An Amazon representative commented, “We’re consistently evaluating how to align our resources with business priorities. As a result, we’ve made the hard choice to remove a limited number of positions within our Books group.”
These changes, first reported by Business Insider, signal Amazon’s intent to optimize select divisions rather than implement broad company-wide layoffs. The company has chosen a phased approach, targeting specific business lines for efficiency rather than large-scale cuts seen at other tech giants.
Since taking the reins in 2021, CEO Andy Jassy has prioritized reducing organizational complexity and cutting costs. He has frequently cited the need to streamline management structures and improve execution speed across the company.
While the number of jobs affected in this instance is relatively modest, the inclusion of flagship platforms like Kindle and Goodreads highlights how Amazon is reassessing all areas of its business. Kindle has been a key part of Amazon’s digital hardware lineup, while Goodreads has played a vital role in community-driven book discovery since being acquired in 2013.
Industry-wide, 2025 has already seen over 61,000 job losses in the tech sector across more than 130 companies, according to Layoffs.fyi. Amazon’s strategy contrasts with some of its peers by focusing on targeted cuts and reinvestment in high-growth areas. In fact, the company added approximately 4,000 jobs in Q1 2025 compared to the previous quarter, reflecting a complex balance of downsizing and expansion.
As Amazon continues to evolve, Jassy’s leadership has been defined by a shift toward long-term operational discipline. His focus remains on building a leaner Amazon that favors innovation through efficiency, rather than aggressive expansion.
Despite the layoffs, Amazon’s stock saw a marginal uptick of 0.3% on Thursday, although shares remain down 5.6% year-to-date amid wider investor caution in the tech space.
The recent job reductions have raised concerns among authors and publishers who rely on Kindle and Goodreads for distribution and engagement. Industry watchers suggest that any disruption in these services could affect both user experience and independent creators, signaling potential ripple effects beyond the company’s internal changes.
