Troubling: America's largest job cutter is also its largest visa importer

 Amazon has become the largest source of job cuts in the tech sector while simultaneously importing foreign workers at a rate that raises concerns about its impact on U. S. employment. This report examines Amazon’s layoffs, visa requests, and labor practices to understand how they affect American workers and the integrity of immigration programs.

• Job Cuts Record: Amazon led global tech layoffs with a record cut of 30,000 employees in October 2025 and an additional 16,000 positions confirmed in January 2026, totaling approximately 65,000 layoffs since 2022.

• Job Growth vs. Layoffs: While Amazon’s workforce grew by about 71,661 employees from 2021 to 2024, most of these roles (66,916) were in professional occupations eligible for the H-1B visa program, indicating that much of the growth was aimed at importing talent rather than developing the domestic workforce.

• H-1B Visa Discrepancy: During the same period, Amazon requested over 115,000 H-1B visas but created only 71,661 jobs, resulting in a significant surplus of visa requests compared to actual job growth. The company sought 1.7 H-1B visas for every new professional job, suggesting a strategy of labor stockpiling rather than addressing a real hiring shortage.

• Industry Classification Issues: Amazon filed many of its H-1B visa petitions under the retail sector, which reported a decline in jobs. This raises questions about whether the visas were genuinely needed or used to replace U. S. workers in a contracting market.

• Virginia's Case Study: In Virginia, Amazon received 62,897 visa approvals while only 24,750 new STEM jobs were added in the same time frame, indicating a mismatch between visa approvals and labor demand. This suggests that the immigration program may be misused to favor foreign labor instead of meeting actual market needs.

• Green Card Applications: Amazon's behavior extended beyond visas to the green card application process. Between 2020 and 2024, the company certified that no qualified American candidates applied for roles, despite active domestic applicants for many positions, showcasing strategies that minimize genuine recruitment efforts.

• Student Visa Utilization: In 2024, Amazon hired 13,372 foreign workers via student visa programs while conducting layoffs of U. S. employees. These visa programs allow companies to bypass specific hiring costs, leading to cheaper foreign labor replacements.

• Labor Market Concerns: Combining layoffs, extensive visa filings, and the state of the job market reveals a narrative of labor substitution rather than addressing shortages. Amazon’s practices suggest a systematic approach to restructuring the workforce in favor of cheaper foreign labor.

Amazon's track record from 2021 to 2026 suggests it has engaged in extensive layoffs while significantly increasing its reliance on foreign labor through visa programs. This pattern raises serious questions about compliance with labor market regulations and the genuine intent to support domestic employment. The evidence points to a system prioritizing cost efficiency over the rights and opportunities of American workers, indicating a worrying trend in the current job market landscape.

https://www.wnd.com/2026/01/troubling-americas-largest-job-cutter-is-also-its/