Amazon Layoff 172 Employees at The Facility Near Seattle

1 Jun

Amazon (AMZN) is closing a warehouse in Tukwila, Washington, just south of Seattle, following a layoff of 172 employees at the facility, known as UWA5. Amazon (AMZN) spokesperson Sam Stephenson said employees will be offered opportunities to transfer to other nearby facilities or support if they choose not to stay with Amazon. The company is always evaluating its network to ensure it fits its business needs and improves the experience for employees, customers, partners, and drivers.

Amazon (AMZN) employs 75,000 people in the Seattle region, many of them corporate and tech workers, as part of its workforce of 1.52 million people worldwide. Global headcount rose 4% year-over-year, as of March 31. Amazon's warehouse-related operations have driven the year-over-year growth in headcount. Last month, Amazon (AMZN) announced new records for Prime delivery speeds in the first three months of this year, citing a shift to regional fulfilment centers. Amazon has plans to double the number of its smaller Same-Day Delivery facilities in the coming years. Last year, Amazon laid off 27,000 corporate workers, but warehouse jobs were not affected.