UPS may be making changes to its partnership with Amazon, but its relationship with its workers may also evolve in more ways than one. Parcel delivery service UPS has announced layoffs for 2026, continuing on the path it set for itself last year. The company began winding down its business with the retail behemoth last year, and with the reduced demands on its operations, the company found its need for such an expansive workforce decreasing as well. As a result, UPS’ headcount reduction plans affected over 48,000 jobs in 2025, with a significant number of facilities closed as an extension of this decision.
Now, UPS has decided to cut 30,000 jobs to bring down its numbers once more, with facility closures already underway. While the organization chases profitability, the company’s workers are not as enthusiastic about this turn of events.
The UPS layoffs in 2026 are a result of the organization’s decision to reel in its business with Amazon, duplicating the 48,000 job cuts made last year. (Image: Pexels)
UPS Layoffs in 2026 Set to Affect Another 30,000 Workers As the Company Puts Reconfiguration Goals Front and Center
As UPS moves away from Amazon, changes are afoot at the organization, most appearing to be more lucrative than previously thought. Calling its business with Amazon “extraordinarily dilutive” to its business, UPS’ decision to dial down its operations came as a surprise to many, particularly in consideration of the scale of its cutbacks. The delivery giant reported earnings of $24.5 billion (£17.7 billion) for the last three months of 2025, a 3.2% decrease from the same period in the previous year. Still, the company has projected a surprise increase in revenue to $89.7 billion for 2026, according to the BBC.
“We’re in the final six months of our Amazon accelerated glide down plan, and for the full year 2026, we intend to glide down another million pieces per day while continuing to reconfigure our network,” chief executive Carol Tome told the network. UPS expects a total of $3 billion in savings in relation to the overhaul of its business with Amazon.
With the UPS Turnaround Plan Affecting Thousands of Jobs, How Will Union Workers Respond?
UPS appears all set to cut 30,000 jobs, simultaneously closing 24 facilities in the first half of 2026. Part of UPS’ headcount reduction strategy involves the offer of buyouts to its full-time drivers, with no plans in place to replace them. Considering the job market and the overall trend of job hugging that we witnessed in the last year, relying on attrition to bring down headcount is harder than one might expect. Given the inevitability of UPS’ 2026 layoffs, workers may be amenable to taking the deal and walking out voluntarily, but targeted cuts may ultimately be necessary.
With a unionized workforce operating at its business, UPS appears to be taking a more careful approach to its layoffs to avoid bringing down the wrath of the Teamsters Brotherhood on it. Going by the union’s post on Twitter/X, it does not appear that the UPS job cuts are set to face a placid response from union workers. The union has been highly critical of the organization’s decisions, and just last year, the union stated that UPS would be “in for a hell of a fight” if it intended to violate existing contracts. This resistance, while not impossible to combat, does complicate workplace sentiments and is often best avoided.
Put some respect on it, @UPS. Our jobs aren’t for sale. pic.twitter.com/4EIfCHmDnH
— Teamsters (@Teamsters) January 27, 2026
The UPS Job Cuts Have Also Been Linked to a Desire for Greater Automation
The leading reason for the continued UPS layoffs in 2026 is the company’s decision to halve its business in transporting Amazon shipments and shift its focus to higher-profit operations, such as serving healthcare customers. In addition to its attempt to “right-size the position levels” according to company needs, the company has also hinted at more elaborate automation goals that bring in more efficiency to the network. This ambition has grown in significance for many businesses in 2026.
From Hyundai to Nike, there are plans for increased automation through AI and robotics taking shape. Turning predictions into reality, Amazon has also indicated plans for large-scale layoffs in the coming months, affecting as many as 30,000 corporate workers this time around. These widespread cuts are not only overwhelming in their scale but also in their implications for the workforce at large. UPS’ turnaround plans under CEO Carol Tomé are not occurring in isolation, which makes this only part of the cuts and changes we can expect to see at the business this year.
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