Amazon has introduced machines that are designed to automatically box customer orders, which is a job currently held by thousands of employees.
The company has contemplated adding at least two of these machines at dozens of warehouses. The addition of these machines will remove around 24 employees from each warehouse, according to Reuters.
These numbers would translate to more than 1,300 job loses from 55 warehouses in the United States.
The plan comes from Amazon’s aim to decrease labour and increase profits through the automation of its warehouses.
“We expect the efficiency savings will be re-invested in new services for customers, where new jobs will continue to be created,” said an Amazon spokesperson in a statement.
An anonymous source told Reuters that Amazon will abstain from refilling packing jobs instead of laying off employees, with the hope of attrition.
The packing jobs create the highest revenue because they are demanding. Workers who choose to remain with the company can be instructed to work more practical roles.
However, it should be noted that the new machines will not fully eliminate all of the packing jobs. An employee still has to place the items on the conveyor belt.
The company acknowledges that fully automated warehouses are still a while away. That said, Amazon’s ultimate goal is to head towards a ‘lights out’ warehouse.
MobileSyrup has reached out to Amazon Canada to see if the machines are also coming to Canadian Amazon warehouses.
Source: Reuters
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