Amazon delays graduate hiring as part of cost-cutting efforts

Amazon has delayed the start dates for some university graduates who had been set to the join the company in May, blaming the “macroeconomic environment” and telling students they would now not be able to begin until the end of 2023.

According to an email seen by the Financial Times, a one-off payment of $13,000 has been offered to those affected, regardless of whether or not they decide to still join the company.

“As a part of our annual operating planning review, we look at each part of our business and make adjustments as needed,” students were told in an email on Monday, following a phone call to discuss the matter.

The note continued: “You are not the only one being impacted. It is important to know that this is a business decision, not a personal decision.”

The student who contacted the FT had been due to start working at Amazon’s campus in Sunnyvale, California, home to Lab126, the company’s research facility.

Lab126, where the technology behind the Alexa voice assistant is developed, has been a particular focus of Amazon’s recent round of cuts, expected to number around 10,000, according to people familiar with the company’s plans.

“It’s not surprising,” said the person, who had recently interned at the company. They asked not to be named as they were now looking for an alternative job.

“There’s definitely quite a bit of optimisation to be done. They’re not the most automated company in terms of what they do day to day.”

They added: “It’s a bummer, but life happens.”

Amazon declined to disclose precisely how many of its graduate hires would be affected.

“In light of the challenging economic conditions, we’re delaying the start dates for some of our college hires by up to six months,” said Brad Glasser, an Amazon spokesman.

“We’re offering assistance to help address any financial impact. Amazon remains committed to university recruiting and our internship program as important pathways to find the next generation of leaders and builders.”