Amazon Turns to Former Employees to Fill AI and Cloud Computing Roles

Amazon is rehiring former employees, including those it previously laid off, to fill vacancies in its AI and cloud computing divisions. The outreach targets former AI and machine learning staff. However, the company said former employees can be considered for other open roles. 

Amazon is rehiring former staff as big tech layoffs reach a record high. Between January and May this year, tech companies had laid off 138,900 workers amid rising AI infrastructure spending. 

How is Amazon Rehiring for AI Roles?

The company is reportedly recruiting former employees through recruiters who contact former staff about available roles via email. Amazon’s AI agent organization, which is led by Amazon Web Services Vice President Swaminathan Sivasubramanian, reportedly reached out to former staff regarding vacancies in AI and machine learning positions last month.

Additionally, an AWS finance recruiter connected with a former staff member and offered an accelerated interview process that would potentially result in a job offer. 

“A lot has changed since you were here, and there's some really compelling work happening across AI/ML right now,” One of the recruitment emails read, as cited by Quartz. 

This is not the first time Amazon is rehiring former employees. According to the company spokeswoman Haley Silva, the practice is well-established across Amazon departments and is not linked specifically to cloud computing or AI roles. Silva added that previous staff, including those laid off in job cut rounds, may be considered for open positions depending on current hiring needs. 

"We're always interested in connecting with talented people, both new candidates and former Amazonians, for open roles," Silva noted.

Why Does Amazon Rehire Laidoff Workers?

Amazon’s move to reach out to laid-off workers reflects the shift in the company’s hiring process. In March 2025, returning staff represented 35% of new hires in the company’s U.S. workforce. This figure stood at 31% in 2024 as per ADP payroll data. 

Across the tech sector, rehired employees accounted for roughly 66% of new hires over the same period. According to ADP, companies such as Amazon prefer returning employees because they offer rare skills and they typically settle faster compared to new workers. 

In 2023, AWS VP for Human Resources Ian Wilson reportedly informed staff that most employees who had lost jobs qualified to be rehired. At the time, he suggested that Amazon needed to find ways to proactively contact former workers who wished to rejoin the company. 

Amazon’s Previous Layoffs 

The company is hiring former employees after laying off over 30,000 people in multiple rounds of job cuts last year. In November 2025, Amazon ran one of the largest layoff rounds, cutting more than 14,000 corporate roles. The job cuts affected thousands of technical roles and engineering positions across multiple business units. 

Earlier this year, the company eliminated positions within its AI business to focus on the most critical initiatives. Besides layoffs, Amazon’s return-to-office policy has weakened its ability to attract AI talent.