World’s largest parcel delivery company to cut 20,000 jobs, anticipating trade slowdown

The world’s largest parcel delivery company plans to cut 20,000 jobs on projections of slowing trade as a result of the Trump Administration’s tariffs.

United Parcel Service (UPS) also announced Tuesday it would shut 73 facilities to lower costs, according to Reuters.

In addition, UPS said that it could not provide any updates on its year-long outlook given “the current macro-economic uncertainty.”

The delivery giant has nearly 490,000 employees.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that UPS has been looking to shrink its operations after deciding earlier this year to reduce the number of packages it delivers for retailing mammoth Amazon.

The e-commerce company accounts for about 12% of UPS’s revenue, but UPS said in January that the profit margins on its business with Amazon are tight.

Executives said the company plans to be less dependent on labor, relying on automation for label application, and loading and unloading trailers.

“As a trusted leader in global logistics, we will leverage our integrated network and trade expertise to assist our customers as they adapt to a changing trade environment,” CEO Carol Tomé said. “Further, the actions we are taking to reconfigure our network and reduce cost across our business could not be timelier.”