US-based global e-retailer Amazon, which has been expanding globally, announced the axing of 60 employees at its India unit.
The reduction in workforce has come as part of a global restructuring plan of the e-commerce retailer. It is being speculated that more employees may face similar situation soon, however, it has assured complete support including the option of relevant internal posting and outplacement services to those affected.
It has become evident that the company should go ahead to organise the teams to keep it agile and help use resources optimally, the retailer reportedly maintained.
Despite the recent layoffs, the Amazon India still has 4,000 job openings for multiple roles in the country.
In February this year, reports surfaced that Amazon is planning to reduce the undisclosed percentage of its workforce at its headquarters in Seattle and away as well. The reported sacking at Seattle is seen as a ‘rare’ move by the retailer.
Notably, Amazon recruited 130,000 staff last year. The company’s permanent and temporary headcount has increased by around 66 per cent from 2016 to approximately 566,000 in the following year.
A report appeared in The Times claimed that the firing is taking place as Amazon has now become overstaffed in the past few years. Amazon recruited over 120,000 temporary staff for the holiday season in the United States last year.
Contrary to lay-off in India and the US, the e-commerce mammoth announced its plan to increase its permanent workforce in France to 7,500 in 2018 through an addition of 2,000 permanent contract positions. Notably, it added 1,500 jobs in France in 2017.
The new jobs will be across Amazon’s distribution centres and also in its Paris region offices.
