Amazon has reportedly made fresh job cuts in its robotics division as part of a shift in how it plans to automate its warehouse operations. The move affects employees who were working on designing and developing robotic systems used inside the company’s fulfilment centres.

The number of roles impacted appears relatively small compared to Amazon’s overall workforce, but the decision highlights the company’s ongoing efforts to refine its automation strategy while also reducing corporate costs.

Reports indicate that at least 100 white-collar positions in the robotics unit have been eliminated. The cuts come after Amazon conducted a review of several projects within the division as it decides where to focus its future robotics investments.

The company said employees affected by the layoffs will receive severance packages, continued health benefits for a period of time, and support as they look for other opportunities.

Amazon’s robotics team develops many of the automation technologies used in its warehouses. These robots help move storage shelves, transport items across facilities, and sort packages before they are shipped to customers. The systems are designed to make fulfilment centres run faster and handle the growing number of online orders.

In an internal message seen in reports, Amazon Robotics vice president Scott Dresser acknowledged that the changes were not easy. However, he noted that robotics will continue to play an important role in the company’s long-term plans.

Amazon also said it periodically reviews its organisational structure to ensure teams are aligned with its priorities and to support new innovation across the business.

The layoffs follow the company’s earlier decision to stop work on a robotics project known as Blue Jay. The system was designed to use multiple robotic arms to pick and move items inside tight warehouse spaces. Amazon has since decided to focus its efforts on other types of warehouse automation.

Even with the recent changes, robotics remains deeply embedded in Amazon’s operations. The company has deployed more than one million robots across its fulfilment centres worldwide, where they assist workers and help move goods through the logistics network.

The latest cuts also come during a broader effort by Amazon to reduce corporate staffing levels. Since late 2022, the company has eliminated more than 57,000 corporate roles as part of a wider push to streamline operations and control costs.

Earlier rounds of layoffs took place in October and again in January, affecting thousands of corporate employees. Smaller workforce reductions have also occurred across other business units, including devices and services, over the past year.

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