The logo and lettering of global online mail order company Amazon can be seen on the façade of Amazon Germany’s headquarters in Parkstadt Schwabing in Munich (Bavaria). Amazon.com, Inc. is a listed US-American, globally active online mail order company. In Germany, the group is one of the US companies with the highest turnover. Photo: Matthias Balk/dpa (Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Tech giant Amazon said on Wednesday it planned to cut about 16,000 employees as it seeks to “strengthen” its business by reducing “layers” and “bureaucracy” within its workforce.

“The reductions we are making today will impact approximately 16,000 roles across Amazon, and we’re again working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted,” Beth Galetti, a senior vice president, said in an email to staff, according to the company.

The announcement comes after the company laid off 14,000 corporate employees in October, marking the second significant set of job cuts in a matter of months.

The layoffs have coincided with booming performance at Amazon, which recorded strong profits in a quarterly earnings report released in October. Profits soared 38% over a three-month stretch ending in September compared to the same period a year prior, the company said.

Amazon attributed the initial round of job cuts last fall in part to a shifting business landscape caused by the developments in artificial intelligence.

“Some may ask why we’re reducing roles when the company is performing well,” wrote Galetti in a memo to employees in October.

“What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly. This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the Internet, and it’s enabling companies to innovate much faster than ever before,” Galetti added.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.