Amazon is contacting former employees, including some who were laid off, about open roles in artificial intelligence, machine learning and cloud computing. Recruiter emails obtained by Business Insider included an AI-focused outreach effort overseen by AWS VP Swami Sivasubramanian and an expedited AWS Finance interview process that could lead to an offer. Amazon spokesperson Haley Silva said rehiring former employees is a longstanding companywide practice driven by open headcount, not a new AI or cloud-specific initiative or a campaign targeting workers who left over return-to-office requirements. The outreach follows more than 30,000 positions eliminated through layoffs in the past year, including cuts in Amazon’s artificial general intelligence unit and a broader round affecting approximately 16,000 employees. Amazon’s five-day office policy remains unchanged, while ADP data shows returning employees accounted for 35% of U.S. new hires in March 2025 and nearly two-thirds of technology-sector hires.