NEW DELHI: E-commerce major Amazon confirmed that it would be laying off people in a bid to consolidate some teams and programmes. The announcement was made via a memo to the staff written by Dave Limp, senior vice president of devices and services at the firm, Fox News reported.

A source said that the layoffs could amount to 10,000 jobs total – including in Amazon’s retail, devices and human resources divisions, reports The Wall Street Journal.

"After a deep set of reviews, we recently decided to consolidate some teams and programs. One of the consequences of these decisions is that some roles will no longer be required," Limp wrote in the memo. "It pains me to have to deliver this news as we know we will lose talented Amazonians from the Devices & Services org as a result," he added. He said that the employees were notified a day before and assured that the company would assist the sacked employees to find new roles.

“We notified impacted employees yesterday, and will continue to work closely with each individual to provide support, including assisting in finding new roles,” Limp said.

"In cases where employees cannot find a new role within the company, we will support the transition with a package that includes a separation payment, transitional benefits, and external job placement support."

The layoff, expected to hit 3 per cent of its staff, will also include jobs in retail and Alexa units due to slow growth.

The company had reportedly reduced the head count by 80,000 between April to September this year, and froze hiring at both the corporate and hourly level.