Amazon pauses corporate hiring amid 'uncertainty' in US economy

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) – US-based global e-retail giant Amazon announced Thursday that it has paused hiring for its corporate workforce amid "uncertainty" in the American economy.

"We anticipate keeping this pause in place for the next few months, and will continue to monitor what we're seeing in the economy and the business to adjust as we think makes sense," Beth Galetti, senior vice president of People Experience and Technology at Amazon, wrote in a statement on company's website.

She said the US economy is facing "an unusual macroeconomic environment," and the firm wants to balance its hiring and investments.

The company announced in early October that it was pausing hiring for corporate roles in its retail business.

The e-retail major was hiring thousands during the coronavirus pandemic when consumers turned towards online shopping due to the mandatory lockdowns. With businesses reopening, however, consumers have turned to physical stores.

Amazon's latest move came the same day that US ride-hailing company Lyft announced that it plans to lay off 13% of its workforce due to the slowdown in the American economy and a possible recession next year.