Doncaster Amazon jobs could be at risk as firm set to axe 18,000 staff

The online giant, which employs 1.5 million globally, has said the losses will be the largest number in the firm's history.

It has not saud which country the job cuts will be in, but said they would include Europe.

The firm has a number of warehouses and fulfliment centres in Doncaster.

Most of the job losses will come from its shops including Amazon Fresh and Go and its human resources division.

Boss Andy Jassy cited the "uncertain economy" for the cuts, saying it had "hired rapidly over several years."

"We don't take these decisions lightly or underestimate how much they might affect the lives of those who are impacted," he said in a memo to staff.

He said the announcement had been brought forward due to one of the firm's employees leaking the cuts externally.

"Companies that last a long time go through different phases. They're not in heavy people expansion mode every year," he added.

Amazon has seen sales slow after business boomed during the pandemic when customers bored at home spent a lot online.

A potent combination of a downturn in advertising revenues due to businesses seeking to save cash, alongside consumers spending less as the cost of living crisis bites, is hitting tech firms hard.

Other big tech firms including Meta - which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp - has also recently announced big cuts.

Amazon employees affected by the cuts are expected to be told by 18 January.