Amazon Announces 16,000 Layoffs as Bellevue Office Expansion Continues

Bellevue City Skyline

Amazon has announced a new round of layoffs that will affect approximately 16,000 roles across the company, according to a recent blog post from Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology at Amazon.

In the announcement, Galetti said the reductions are part of ongoing organizational changes aimed at reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy. While many teams completed restructuring in October, other teams finalized changes more recently, resulting in additional job cuts.

Amazon said most U.S.-based employees impacted by the layoffs will be given 90 days to seek another role within the company. Employees who are unable to secure a new position or choose not to pursue one will be offered transition support, including severance pay, outplacement services, and health insurance benefits where applicable.

Galetti stated that Amazon will continue hiring in strategic areas and emphasized that the company does not plan to announce broad workforce reductions on a recurring basis. She added that teams will continue to evaluate staffing needs based on business priorities and customer demand.

The announcement comes as Amazon continues to move forward with major office development projects in Bellevue. In mid-January 2026, the company filed permits with the City of Bellevue to advance several remaining office tower projects, signaling renewed construction activity tied to its long-term presence in the city.

The permits include Tower 1 at Bellevue 600, located at 633 110th Ave. NE, as well as the remaining two towers in the three-building West Main complex at 117 106th Ave. NE. At the end of 2025, Amazon also filed a permit to resume interior build-out work at The Artise, a 25-story office tower that had been paused for more than a year.

Home Comfort Alliance 300 x 250 - March 2026

Additional permit applications were submitted beginning in September for renovations at the 611,000-square-foot office tower at 788 106th Ave. NE. The building is leased by Amazon and is designed to accommodate thousands of employees.

The filings point to continued investment in Bellevue as Amazon’s local workforce has grown significantly in recent years. The company’s employee count in the city has increased from 2,790 to approximately 14,300 employees. Amazon has previously stated that it expects to eventually employ about 25,000 people in Bellevue.

The company has not provided details on how the layoffs may impact its Bellevue-based workforce. Amazon was contacted for comment regarding potential local effects, but had not responded at the time of publication.

Hot this week

4.22-Acre Mixed-Use Development Approved in Downtown Bellevue

A major mixed-use residential development in downtown Bellevue has...

Bellevue Tip Leads to Conviction in Multi-State Sex Trafficking Case

A federal sex trafficking case that began with a...

Blazing Bagels Closes All Locations, Including Bellevue

Blazing Bagels has closed all of its locations, including...

Adrian’s Restaurant & Tequila Bar in Old Bellevue Closes Abruptly

Adrian’s Restaurant & Tequila Bar has closed abruptly, according...

Salt & Straw Ice Cream Opens in Bellevue April 24 with Giveaways and Events

Salt & Straw will open a new scoop shop...

Onni Group’s Biggest WA Project Brings 1,300 Homes, Pools & Daycare to Bellevue

Excavation on the 606 Bellevue Tower project is scheduled...

$28M Custom Mansion Coming to Russell Wilson’s Former Bellevue Lot

A vacant waterfront parcel in Bellevue's Meydenbauer neighborhood, once...

Bellevue & Eastside Cities Help Large Buildings Cut Energy Use and Avoid Fines

With state compliance deadlines approaching as early as June...

Bellevue Farmers Market Opens 23rd Season on May 21

The Bellevue Farmers Market will open for its 23rd...

Bellevue May Create a New Transportation Tax. Here’s Where One Group Wants It Spent

A coalition of local business and development interests is...

Furniture Brand Article Opening First U.S. Store in Bellevue This October

Article, a Vancouver, B.C.-based direct-to-consumer furniture brand, is opening...

Heat Pump vs AC: An HVAC Tech’s Honest Take for Bellevue and Eastside Homeowners

In 26 years of working inside Eastside homes, I've...

What the State Budget Shortage Means for Bellevue

What the State Budget Shortage Means for Bellevue Washington state...

Related Articles

Popular Categories

Home Comfort Alliance - Banner 728 x 90 for HVAC