Episode
Amazon and the Labor Shortage
26:15
Published: Wed Dec 01 2021
Description
Amazon is constantly hiring. Data has shown that the company has had a turnover rate of about 150 percent a year.For the founder, Jeff Bezos, worker retention was not important, and the company built systems that didn’t require skilled workers or extensive training — it could hire and lose people all of the time.Amazon has been able to replenish its work force, but the pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of this approach.We explore what the labor shortage has meant for Amazon and the people who work there. Guest: Karen Weise, a technology correspondent, based in Seattle for The New York Times.Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Each year, hundreds of thousands of workers churn through Amazon’s vast mechanism that hires, monitors, disciplines and fires. Amid the pandemic, the already strained system lurched.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Chapters
Amazon has adopted an approach to managing their hourly workforce focused on keeping workers for about two years or less, paying people to leave, and offering career training for other professions.
00:00 - 05:52 (05:52)
Summary
Amazon has adopted an approach to managing their hourly workforce focused on keeping workers for about two years or less, paying people to leave, and offering career training for other professions. They have created systems to hire and manage workers while heavily investing in technology.
EpisodeAmazon and the Labor Shortage
PodcastThe Daily
Amazon's short-term work model leaves employees uncertain about the longevity of their jobs, creating tension among managers and headquarters about how to maintain a large workforce.
05:52 - 09:12 (03:19)
Summary
Amazon's short-term work model leaves employees uncertain about the longevity of their jobs, creating tension among managers and headquarters about how to maintain a large workforce.
EpisodeAmazon and the Labor Shortage
PodcastThe Daily
Amazon initially gave their workers more flexibility at the start of the pandemic, but as demand continued to increase and some workers didn't want to work, their model encountered problems.
09:12 - 15:03 (05:51)
Summary
Amazon initially gave their workers more flexibility at the start of the pandemic, but as demand continued to increase and some workers didn't want to work, their model encountered problems.
EpisodeAmazon and the Labor Shortage
PodcastThe Daily
Understanding the connection between employer and employee and addressing high attrition rates is critical for creating a successful business in the long term, especially for retailers who will spend billions on labor-related expenses during the holiday quarter.
15:03 - 24:03 (09:00)
Summary
Understanding the connection between employer and employee and addressing high attrition rates is critical for creating a successful business in the long term, especially for retailers who will spend billions on labor-related expenses during the holiday quarter.
EpisodeAmazon and the Labor Shortage
PodcastThe Daily
The Omicron variant was detected in the Netherlands before two flights arrived from South Africa, suggesting that the mutation may have already been in Europe before it was detected in South Africa.
24:04 - 26:02 (01:58)
Summary
The Omicron variant was detected in the Netherlands before two flights arrived from South Africa, suggesting that the mutation may have already been in Europe before it was detected in South Africa. Additionally, a federal judge temporarily blocked President Biden's mandate that required health workers in hospitals and nursing homes to receive at least their first vaccine shot by December 6th.