U.S. technology giant Amazon confirmed on Tuesday that it has executed a round of layoffs within its robotics division, impacting at least 100 white-collar positions.
This move follows the company's announcement in January of this year to cut approximately 16,000 jobs, at which time Amazon hinted that further workforce reductions would continue.
The robotics division at Amazon is responsible for designing robots and other automated transportation equipment, primarily utilized within warehouses.
In a statement, Amazon said, "We regularly evaluate our organizational structure to ensure our teams can innovate and serve customers in the most effective way possible." However, the statement did not disclose the exact number of employees affected.
Beginning with the reduction of about 14,000 white-collar employees last October, Amazon has now cumulatively cut 30,000 corporate staff. The company has linked these layoffs to efficiency improvements driven by artificial intelligence and adjustments to its corporate culture. The recent cuts represent approximately 10% of the total white-collar workforce, although the vast majority of Amazon's 1.5 million employees are hourly workers, particularly in warehouses known as fulfillment centers.
This latest round of layoffs at Amazon occurred after the company halted development of a robotic arm named Blue Jay in January. The product, which was showcased at an event in October, featured multiple arms capable of grasping several items simultaneously and was designed to assist employees working in confined spaces.
In addition to the large-scale workforce reductions in October of last year and January of this year, Amazon has conducted smaller-scale layoffs across various departments over the past year, including its devices and services, books, podcasts, and public relations units.
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