Amazon is cutting off 5% of the personnel at Audible, Business Insider reported on Thursday, citing a message by the president of the audiobook and podcast division.
Amazon acquired the audiobook provider Audible in 2008 for around $300 million.
The revelation comes as internet giants continue to drastically reduce employment, with several extending their layoffs until 2024. A day earlier, the e-commerce giant said that it would lay off hundreds of workers in its streaming and studio division.
CEO of Audible Bob Carrigan stated in the memo, “I want you to know that we’re making these decisions to strengthen our business for the long term,”
The layoffs come at a time when major tech companies, including Microsoft and Meta Platforms, are investing billions of dollars in generative AI in the wake of OpenAI’s ChatGPT breakthrough.
After the IT sector hired extensively during the epidemic, Amazon let off more than 27,000 workers last year as part of a wave of layoffs in the United States.
