4 ms·

> The company has more than 1.5 million employees across its warehouses and offices worldwide. > This includes around 350,000 corporate workers, which include

by raziel2p 11mo ago

> The company has more than 1.5 million employees across its warehouses and offices worldwide. > This includes around 350,000 corporate workers, which include those in executive, managerial and sales roles, according to figures that Amazon submitted to the US government last year. So roughly 4% of jobs in Amazon's corporate division disappeared. Not to downplay that the world/economy is in a bad state, but I don't think this is very catastrophic.

nemomarx 11mo ago
Not catastrophic, but probably a sign that jobs are shrinking instead of growing and so good market information if you were thinking about getting promoted or moving around?
- nxm 11mo ago
  Rather, a correction for over hiring during periods of low-interest rates and excessive money printed which promoted & rewarded hiring just to be compretitive
  - WOTERMEON 11mo ago
    Still. Less jobs on the market
  - magicalist 11mo ago
    > correction for over hiring during periods of low-interest rates It's been three years since that though, and five years since covid. That's why we say "AI" now. Just make sure you don't say "executive incompetence".
    - whamlastxmas 11mo ago
      I don't think it's incompetence, I think it's planned, merciless strategy. It costs nearly nothing to fire a ton of people, so why not hire a bunch with free money and dump them as soon as the free money disappears
      - johnnyanmac 11mo ago
        Yeah pretty much. This is just late stage capitalism, and the working class seem to just be shrugging at it instead of what theyr forefathers did in reaction.
  - Esophagus4 11mo ago
    Plus, possibly some forward-looking positioning for a future where automation drives leaner companies with fewer employees per dollar of revenue.
  - jalapenos 11mo ago
    I mean, may as well just point back to the 2000 tech bubble if we're going to keep nodding our heads at that line
- tirant 11mo ago
  Numbers do not support that. Jobs might be shrinking within Amazon, but globally the situation is the opposite. Population is still growing, 25% the last 20 years (trend that is slowly reversing), and unemployment rates are the lowest at global scale (~4,9% for 2024, lowest historically, down from 6.0% in 2005). That's around ~1.0 billion more jobs in 2024 compared to 2005. [1] https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/ilo-expects-global-unemployment-drop-slightly-2024-slow-progress-reduce https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/ilo-expects-global-unemplo... [2] https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/ilo-annual-jobs-report-says-global-unemployment-continues-grow-youth-now https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/ilo-annual-jobs-report-say... [3] https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
  - johnnyanmac 11mo ago
    Easy for jobs to be created in Asia if they are being moved from North America. That doesn't say much by itself.
  - Hendrikto 11mo ago
    Most jobs are not interchangeable, especially globally. What good does it do me if India creates 30k new teller positions in supermarkets? Also, even in the US, they use things like gig work to make the numbers look better. Sure, some jobs were created while others were lost, but taking on Doordash in addition to Uber is no replacement for a lost management / marketing / sales position at Amazon.
  - rafaelmn 11mo ago
    > Population is still growing I think the relevant number here is working age population.
  - christina97 11mo ago
    It makes no sense to look at global averages for the employment market.
itopaloglu83 11mo ago
We all know that this is just the beginning to get us desensitized. The leaked plan is to fire up to 600,000 people. So roughly up to 40% of their workforce.
- johnnyanmac 11mo ago
  It's been 3 years of this. The frog has already been boiled, especially if you look at the comment activity here compared to 2023. HN is just caring less and less and tuning out the obvious economic headwinds we've been in. Real shame.
- tnel77 11mo ago
  While bad, that’s something entirely different. The reported 30,000 seems to be because of economic conditions, whereas that 600,000 number is allegedly from robotic improvements in their warehouses. Not great for the American workforce either way, but they aren’t exactly the same.
- Esophagus4 11mo ago
  Hmmm, if you’re referring to this article[1], please make sure you’re accurately representing it. Amazon is not firing up to 600,000 people, they plan to automate jobs to avoid hiring 600,000 people projected out to 2033. [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/technology/inside-amazons-plans-to-replace-workers-with-robots.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/technology/inside-amazons...
  - itopaloglu83 11mo ago
    It also forecast a certain business growth that we see not happening. Also, no sane PM would document to fire 600,000 people, it’s always “avoid hiring, wink wink”. Please combine the forecasted automation with the real compaction of the business. What happens when you continue to automate processes, but business doesn’t outpace the automation?
nQQKTz7dm27oZ 11mo ago
[dead]

nemomarx 11mo ago

Not catastrophic, but probably a sign that jobs are shrinking instead of growing and so good market information if you were thinking about getting promoted or moving around?

nxm 11mo ago
Rather, a correction for over hiring during periods of low-interest rates and excessive money printed which promoted & rewarded hiring just to be compretitive
- WOTERMEON 11mo ago
  Still. Less jobs on the market
- magicalist 11mo ago
  > correction for over hiring during periods of low-interest rates It's been three years since that though, and five years since covid. That's why we say "AI" now. Just make sure you don't say "executive incompetence".
  - whamlastxmas 11mo ago
    I don't think it's incompetence, I think it's planned, merciless strategy. It costs nearly nothing to fire a ton of people, so why not hire a bunch with free money and dump them as soon as the free money disappears
    - johnnyanmac 11mo ago
      Yeah pretty much. This is just late stage capitalism, and the working class seem to just be shrugging at it instead of what theyr forefathers did in reaction.
- Esophagus4 11mo ago
  Plus, possibly some forward-looking positioning for a future where automation drives leaner companies with fewer employees per dollar of revenue.
- jalapenos 11mo ago
  I mean, may as well just point back to the 2000 tech bubble if we're going to keep nodding our heads at that line
tirant 11mo ago
Numbers do not support that. Jobs might be shrinking within Amazon, but globally the situation is the opposite. Population is still growing, 25% the last 20 years (trend that is slowly reversing), and unemployment rates are the lowest at global scale (~4,9% for 2024, lowest historically, down from 6.0% in 2005). That's around ~1.0 billion more jobs in 2024 compared to 2005. [1] https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/ilo-expects-global-unemployment-drop-slightly-2024-slow-progress-reduce https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/ilo-expects-global-unemplo... [2] https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/ilo-annual-jobs-report-says-global-unemployment-continues-grow-youth-now https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/ilo-annual-jobs-report-say... [3] https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
- johnnyanmac 11mo ago
  Easy for jobs to be created in Asia if they are being moved from North America. That doesn't say much by itself.
- Hendrikto 11mo ago
  Most jobs are not interchangeable, especially globally. What good does it do me if India creates 30k new teller positions in supermarkets? Also, even in the US, they use things like gig work to make the numbers look better. Sure, some jobs were created while others were lost, but taking on Doordash in addition to Uber is no replacement for a lost management / marketing / sales position at Amazon.
- rafaelmn 11mo ago
  > Population is still growing I think the relevant number here is working age population.
- christina97 11mo ago
  It makes no sense to look at global averages for the employment market.

itopaloglu83 11mo ago

We all know that this is just the beginning to get us desensitized. The leaked plan is to fire up to 600,000 people. So roughly up to 40% of their workforce.

johnnyanmac 11mo ago
It's been 3 years of this. The frog has already been boiled, especially if you look at the comment activity here compared to 2023. HN is just caring less and less and tuning out the obvious economic headwinds we've been in. Real shame.
tnel77 11mo ago
While bad, that’s something entirely different. The reported 30,000 seems to be because of economic conditions, whereas that 600,000 number is allegedly from robotic improvements in their warehouses. Not great for the American workforce either way, but they aren’t exactly the same.
Esophagus4 11mo ago
Hmmm, if you’re referring to this article[1], please make sure you’re accurately representing it. Amazon is not firing up to 600,000 people, they plan to automate jobs to avoid hiring 600,000 people projected out to 2033. [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/technology/inside-amazons-plans-to-replace-workers-with-robots.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/technology/inside-amazons...
- itopaloglu83 11mo ago
  It also forecast a certain business growth that we see not happening. Also, no sane PM would document to fire 600,000 people, it’s always “avoid hiring, wink wink”. Please combine the forecasted automation with the real compaction of the business. What happens when you continue to automate processes, but business doesn’t outpace the automation?

nQQKTz7dm27oZ 11mo ago

[dead]