Amazon Robots Slow Hiring Growth in US, Global Warehouses

Amazon is advancing its warehouse automation with new robots like Vulcan, Stow, and Pick to enhance safety, efficiency, and reduce repetitive tasks for workers, while aiming to slow future hiring growth rather than replace current employees. An internal document reveals that these robots are key to flattening Amazon's hiring curve over the next decade amid rising costs and labor shortages. Testing of the Stow robot shows it can handle about 85 percent of tasks at speeds comparable to human workers, though challenges remain, such as occasional item damage, especially with delicate products like books. Amazon emphasizes that despite automation, it continues to hire extensively and create new higher-skilled roles, including flow control specialists and maintenance engineers. The company's broader goal is to build the world's most advanced fulfillment network with a combination of human labor and robotics to improve overall warehouse productivity. This balanced approach reflects Amazon's ongoing commitment to both technological innovation and workforce development.