Amazon to replace 6,00,000 US workers with robots over next decade

Amazon.com, one of the largest employers in the United States with nearly 1.2 million employees, plans to replace over 6,00,000 workers with robots in the US over the next ten years, according to internal documents cited by The New York Times on Tuesday, October 21. The company aims to automate 75% of its operations, with projections to double its sales by 2033 through increased use of automation.

The New York Times report, based on staff interviews and internal documents, indicates that automation will allow Amazon to avoid hiring 160,000 additional employees by the end of 2027. This shift is expected to save the company $12.5 billion over the next two years.

Robotics in action at Shreveport facility

At Amazon’s Shreveport, Louisiana facility, designed with automation as a priority, approximately 1,000 robots already handle much of the packing and shipping tasks. This has enabled the company to operate with 25% fewer employees than would otherwise be required. By 2026, the facility is projected to employ only half the staff it would have needed without robotic deployment. Amazon plans to replicate this model in nearly 40 facilities by the end of 2027.

Sources indicate that Amazon India has no immediate plans to introduce robotic automation in its operations, unlike the company’s aggressive automation strategy in the US.