Reuters has reported that Amazon.com is making plans to cut 18,000 employees worldwide, including in the US, Canada and Costa Rica.

The staff reductions are the latest in the US technology sector, where companies aim to cut costs to reverse pandemic-era excesses and prepare for the struggling global economy.

According to an update on the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification site, Amazon will lay off 2,300 employees in Seattle and Bellevue, Washington.

Earlier this month, Amazon.com Chief Executive Andy Jassy said that the cuts will constitute some 6 percent of the company's 300,000 corporate employees, and will mainly affect the e-commerce and human resources divisions.

This week, Microsoft also said it would cut about 10,000 jobs, which will cost it $1.2 billion.

The US labor law requires companies planning mass layoffs to inform employees 60 days in advance.