The announcement was made by editorial director Matt Murray during a virtual meeting on Wednesday. The cuts affect a third of the staff and all editorial departments; the sports department will be closed and the number of foreign correspondents will be reduced.
Digital messages will be sent out; employees will be notified in person if the subject line indicates they have lost their job.
Rumors of cuts have been rife at the newspaper for weeks. Journalists have reached out directly to the owner, Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos, with an appeal not to go through with the cuts.
The newspaper is known for several historically important revelations, including reporting on the Watergate scandal.
