Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteAmazon’s state-reported U.S. employee count fell by about 98,000, or 9%, between December 2021 and January 2023, to just over 1 million. The changes were uneven: New Jersey had the largest reported numerical decline, Montana the steepest percentage drop, while Washington and Virginia added workers. These are historical company-posted headcounts compiled by GeekWire—not a current state-by-state picture or an explanation of why staffing changed.
What the state employment comparison measures
GeekWire’s April 2023 comparison used current and historical figures from Amazon’s U.S. investment page, with a linked PDF containing the underlying state-by-state data. It compares December 2021 with January 2023. Amazon’s reported U.S. employment had reached 1.1 million in 2021; by January 2023, the total was slightly above 1 million, a decline of 98,000, or about 9%. GeekWire’s analysis and source data are the basis for the figures below.
The numbers describe reported direct employees, not every job Amazon’s activity may support. They also do not cover the later corporate and technology job cuts that were announced after this comparison.
Which states lost Amazon employees?
The largest drops highlighted in GeekWire’s comparison differed depending on whether change is measured in people or as a share of the starting count.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →#1 Best Overall
| State | December 2021 | January 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 58,000 | 46,000 | Down 12,000, or 21%—the largest numerical decline cited |
| Louisiana | 7,000 | 3,000 | Down 4,000, or 57% |
| Montana | 30 | 0 | Down 30, or 100%—the largest percentage decline cited |
Montana’s 100% figure reflects a small starting count: 30 reported employees. It is therefore the steepest percentage decline among the examples, but not the largest loss in headcount. New Jersey’s 12,000-person reduction was much larger in absolute terms.
Which states added Amazon employees?
Some states gained reported employees even as the national total declined. GeekWire highlighted these increases:
Rank #2
- Ideal for Gifting
- Ideal for a bookworm
- Compact for travelling
| State | December 2021 | January 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 30,000 | 36,000 | Up 6,000 |
| Washington | 85,000 | 90,000 | Up 5,000 |
| New York | 39,000 | 41,000 | Up 2,000, or 5% |
These gains show why a nationwide decline should not be read as a uniform contraction in every state. The figures indicate where Amazon’s reported employee counts rose or fell over the comparison period; they do not identify what drove any individual state’s change.
What the figures do—and do not—explain
Amazon told GeekWire that changes in site-level headcount can happen through attrition or reflect evolving business needs. The company also described its network as subject to ongoing evaluation and adjustment. That explanation offers context, not independently established proof of why a particular state’s count changed. GeekWire’s comparison does not establish state-by-state causes.
The comparison also ended before Amazon’s subsequently announced 27,000 corporate and technology job cuts. Those announcements are later events and involve a different workforce scope from the state-level figures; they should not be added to the December 2021–January 2023 comparison as though they were part of it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read later Amazon workforce figures
Amazon’s more recent workforce and economic-impact statements use different dates and scopes, so they are not like-for-like updates to the state headcounts:
Quick Recap
Best Value
- It can be a gift option
- Comes with secure packaging
- Helpful in various ways
Rank #4
- Amazon’s U.S. impact page says its state impact data are generally as of December 2025. Its investment and economic-impact estimates use Keystone Strategy’s estimates and a U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis input-output methodology. Estimated economic effects are not direct employee counts. Amazon’s U.S. economic impact page describes that information.
- Amazon’s 2025 impact report says the company supported 1 million direct U.S. jobs and another 1 million indirect jobs, and added more than 800,000 jobs over the prior decade. These are Amazon’s impact-report claims and should not be merged into GeekWire’s historical state-level series. Amazon’s 2025 impact report.
- Amazon’s 2024 impact update said its investments supported more than 2 million U.S. jobs in 2023 and that over 40% of its U.S. workforce was in small towns. Those are differently scoped company impact claims, not state-by-state direct employee counts comparable to the 2021–2023 figures. Amazon’s 2024 impact update.
- In October 2025, the Associated Press reported Amazon’s announcement of about 14,000 corporate job cuts. The AP put the company at about 350,000 corporate employees and 1.56 million total employees at that time. Those later company-wide figures and corporate cuts have a different date and scope from GeekWire’s state comparison. Associated Press coverage from October 2025.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
