On the floor
- Amazon cuts about 14,000 corporate jobs to reduce layers
Amazon said it would cut about 14,000 corporate jobs to reduce layers and bureaucracy, and the cuts could eventually exceed 30,000. HR chief Beth Galetti called AI the most transformative technology since the Internet.
TechRepublic · General and Operations Managers, First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
- Internal Amazon documents plan robots for 75% of operations
According to documents reported by The New York Times, Amazon expects to avoid hiring more than 160,000 U.S. workers by 2027 and 600,000 by 2033. Amazon says the documents are incomplete and don't represent its hiring strategy.
Business Standard, citing The New York Times · Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, Stockers and Order Fillers
- Amazon puts touch-sensing Vulcan robot to work stowing items
Vulcan is in full operation stowing items in Spokane, Washington, and can handle about 75% of the roughly 1 million unique items there. A picking version is being tested in Hamburg, and Amazon plans more U.S. and German sites in 2026.
CNBC via NBC New York · Stockers and Order Fillers, Hand Packers and Packagers
Jobs affected
- Stockers and Order Fillers1h 17m of 8h touched · 2.8 million workers · $37k · +8.9% by 2035Where AI or robots show up most: Operate equipment such as forklifts (28m a shift, robots)
- General and Operations Managers1h 14m of 8h touched · 3.5 million workers · $106k · +5% by 2035Where AI or robots show up most: Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement (58m a shift, AI on its own)
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers1h 53m of 8h touched · 1.4 million workers · $70k · +0.1% by 2035Where AI or robots show up most: Provide employees with guidance in handling difficult or complex problems or in resolving escalated complaints or disputes (40m a shift, people with AI)
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand4h 32m of 8h touched · 3 million workers · $40k · +1.8% by 2035Where AI or robots show up most: Move freight, stock, or other materials to and from storage or production areas, loading docks, delivery vehicles, ships, or containers, by hand or using trucks, tractors, or other equipment (4h 13m a shift, robots)
- Hand Packers and Packagers3h 34m of 8h touched · 560,000 workers · $36k · -5% by 2035Where AI or robots show up most: Place or pour products or materials into containers, using hand tools and equipment, or fill containers from spouts or chutes (1h 27m a shift, robots)