In Early Morning Mail, Amazon Lays Off 250 Staff To "Operate More Efficiently"

Amazon cut about 250 jobs on Wednesday in its devices and services unit after weeks of product rollouts including new Kindle e-readers and tablet computers.

The company confirmed the cuts after a Reuters inquiry. "We've made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles," a spokesperson said without elaborating.

The cuts affected no more than 250 jobs, said a person familiar with the matter, primarily in software development. 

The layoffs will help the company "operate more efficiently and better align with our product roadmap," the spokesperson said. Amazon on Wednesday also announced a new Alexa-powered alarm clock and photo frame.

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As is the company's custom, text messages and emails were sent to workers early Wednesday morning. One seen by Reuters was from Cherie Robinson, a human resources vice president in devices and services, saying the company had undergone "a thorough review of our structure" resulting in the need for cuts.

Earlier this month, Amazon pared about 1,000 jobs in its core retail division. The company reports its third-quarter earnings after the market close on Thursday.

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