Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, announced Wednesday that it will be eliminating over 18,000 jobs, a larger number than initially planned. The cuts, which were first reported by The Wall Street Journal, will affect a wide range of departments across the company, including customer service, logistics, and technology. In a memo to employees, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said the decision was made to preempt a planned announcement. "We typically wait to communicate about these outcomes until we can speak with the people who are directly impacted," Jassy wrote. "However, because one of our teammates leaked this information, we wanted to provide an update to the rest of our team." The job cuts come as Amazon faces increased scrutiny from regulators and politicians over its market dominance. The company is also facing pressure from labor unions and workers who are calling for better wages and working conditions. In a statement, Amazon said it was making the cuts to "right-size our workforce and better align our resources with our current needs." The company said it will provide severance packages and other benefits to those affected by the layoffs. Amazon also said it will continue to hire for other positions to meet customer needs.