Amazon's Audible CEO denies to say layoffs are over, says cannot promise

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 28, 2024 18:27 IST

In an internal all-hands meeting, Audible CEO Bob Carrigan addressed concerns about recent layoffs and hinted that more job cuts might be on the horizon for the Amazon unit. Just two weeks after the company cut 5 percent of its staff, Carrigan faced a barrage of questions from employees, with many expressing worries about job security and the overall morale within the company, as reported by Business Insider.

During the meeting, one employee directly confronted Carrigan, asking whether there would be another round of layoffs this year. The CEO, however, did not provide a straightforward answer to this question. Instead, he highlighted the "very aggressive action" taken earlier in the year and acknowledged the prevalent anxiety among employees.

Carrigan stated, "I've always said that I can't make any promises — I can't do that. We took action, and we have a plan now for the year that we're going to go and execute on, and we should be focused on our customers."

The uncertainty surrounding potential layoffs has left Audible employees concerned about their future within the company. Carrigan's refusal to confirm the end of layoffs and his emphasis on focusing on customer-centric initiatives suggest a strategic redirection for Audible amidst economic uncertainties.

The aftermath of the recent workforce reduction has already contributed to a sense of unease among employees, and Carrigan's statements leave room for speculation about the company's future actions.

Besides, companies like Google and Microsoft also just recently fired employees in big numbers. It was reported that 1,000 more employees were sacked in a fresh round of layoffs at Google. Microsoft also announced the elimination of 1,900 employees from Xbox and Blizzard gaming divisions to save costs and make better strategic decisions.

"As part of this process, we have made the painful decision to reduce the size of our gaming workforce by approximately 1900 roles out of the 22,000 people on our team. The Gaming Leadership Team and I are committed to navigating this process as thoughtfully as possible," the company said.