amazon The company confirmed to CNBC that it has laid off some employees in its pharmacy business.
A “small number” of employees in Amazon’s pharmacy unit were told on Thursday that they would be fired, Amazon spokesman Brad Glasser said in a statement.About 80 employees were reportedly fired traffic lightThe news was previously reported.
“Like many businesses, we are constantly improving our processes to improve quality and efficiency and to determine how to provide the best customer experience,” Glasser said. “As a result, we have decided to realign our resources and eliminate a small number of positions in the Amazon Pharmacy Services team.”
The layoffs come as Amazon recently completed the largest layoffs in its 29-year history. Last fall and earlier this year, the company laid off 18,000 workers over several months before announcing that it would lay off another 9,000 in March. Amazon Chief Executive Andy Jassy has been aggressively cutting costs across the company as the e-retailer faces a sluggish economy and slower revenue growth. Jassy has targeted some of Amazon’s unproven bets, such as groceries and equipment, while freezing corporate hiring and slowing warehouse expansion.
Amazon’s healthcare business was hit by layoffs earlier this year. Some employees in the company’s pharmacy, digital health tools and Halo fitness band divisions have been laid off, CNBC previously reported.
Amazon has been trying to break into the healthcare market for years. The company launched its own online pharmacy in 2020, a service born out of its 2018 acquisition of PillPack. Amazon launched a telehealth service called Amazon Care, which it later shut down, and announced in July that it would buy boutique primary care provider One Medical for $3.9 billion.
watch: Consumers get nervous and look for deals during Amazon Prime Day
Svlook
