Amazon.com Begins Layoffs in Music Division

Amazon.com has initiated layoffs in its Music division (photo: twitter @amazon)

JAKARTA - Amazon.com has initiated layoffs in its Music division,  on Wednesday, November 8 signaling  the latest round of layoffs in the past year that have affected more than 27,000 employees of the retail giant.

Employees in Latin America, North America and Europe received notices that their jobs had been removed on Wednesday, according to sources familiar with the matter. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the cuts after being contacted by Reuters. But he declined to reveal how many employees were affected.

“We have carefully monitored our organization's needs and prioritized what is most important to our customers and the long-term health of our business,” he said in a statement. “Several roles have been removed on the Amazon Music team. We will continue to invest in Amazon Music.”

No recent reports of major cuts have been made in Washington state, where Amazon is based, California, or New York, among the company's largest employee centers. This is known from a review of the Worker Adjustment and Apprenticeship Notification website.

The layoffs came even though Amazon reported third-quarter net income that far exceeded analyst estimates and projected revenue in the final quarter of the year to be roughly in line with expectations. The fourth quarter is the most important quarter for Amazon, as it includes holiday shopping.

Amazon has been quietly cutting jobs, including communications staff in its Studios, Video and Music divisions last month.

Amazon Music, which also includes podcasts, competes with Spotify, Pandora, Alphabet's Google and Apple in offering unlimited music streaming services for a subscription fee. The monthly subscription price was increased this year by one dollar to $10.99.