Amazon accidentally leaks thousands of job cuts under ‘Project Dawn’ – Tech Digest

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Amazon has inadvertently confirmed a massive new round of global layoffs after a senior executive’s draft email was accidentally sent to staff via a calendar invitation.

The leak, which occurred late Tuesday, reveals that the tech giant is moving forward with a restructuring initiative codenamed “Project Dawn,” targeting employees across the US, Canada, and Costa Rica.

The email was authored by Colleen Aubrey, a senior vice president at Amazon Web Services (AWS). It was reportedly shared in error by an executive assistant before being abruptly cancelled. In the message, Aubrey characterized the job cuts as part of a broader effort to “strengthen the company” by removing bureaucracy and reducing management layers so the organization can “move faster for customers.”

While Amazon had already slashed 14,000 positions in October, this latest leak confirms employee fears that a much larger reduction is underway. Insiders suggest the company is aiming for a total of 30,000 redundancies by May 2026. Those affected by the cuts are reportedly being offered limited opportunities to reapply for internal roles, with others receiving severance packages based on their tenure.

The “Project Dawn” revelations come as CEO Andy Jassy continues a aggressive campaign to “rethink everything” at Amazon. Under Jassy’s leadership, the firm has not only implemented multiple rounds of layoffs but has also enforced a strict five-day-a-week in-office mandate: a move that sets it apart from other tech peers like Google and Meta.

The company is also aggressively cutting costs elsewhere, recently announcing the closure of its 70 Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go grocery stores to focus on its Whole Foods subsidiary.

Amazon is not alone in its downsizing. The tech industry has seen approximately 700,000 layoffs over the last four years. However, the accidental nature of this announcement has sparked further anxiety among a workforce already grappling with a rapidly changing corporate culture. Amazon has declined to comment officially on the leaked correspondence.

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