Freight industry layoffs surge across California, Texas

Layoffs continue to significantly impact the freight industry as firms in California and Texas announced more than 1,048 layoffs over the past week.

Companies announcing worker reductions include UPS, FedEx, F&S Produce West LLC and Amazon.

UPS

UPS plans to cut two shifts at a warehouse in West Sacramento, California, eliminating 355 workers by mid-July.

Atlanta-based UPS (NYSE: UPS) said the layoffs are part of a companywide initiative it described as “the largest network reconfiguration in UPS history,” according to The Sacramento Bee.

In April, UPS told investors it planned to cut its workforce by around 20,000 positions and close 73 facilities by the end of the year.

FedEx Supply Chain Logistics and Electronics

FedEx Supply Chain Logistics and Electronics (NYSE: FDX) said it is laying off 305 employees at its North Fort Worth, Texas, logistics center, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice filed with the state.

The job reductions, which will be finalized by Oct. 25, were caused by a customer moving to another facility and contracting with a new third-party logistics provider, FedEx said.

FedEx’s North Fort Worth logistics center will remain operational with 275 workers.

F&S Produce West LLC

F&S Produce West, a produce and food wholesaler, plans to cut 255 jobs from its facility in southeast Houston.

The company did not provide a reason for the workforce reduction in its WARN notice filed with the state. It’s unclear if the facility will remain operational.

Officials for F&S Produce West did not return a request for comment from FreightWaves.

L&T Precision

Specialty manufacturer L&T Precision plans to close a facility and lay off 81 employees in Poway, California, according to a WARN notice.

The facility, which specializes in manufacturing services for the aerospace and defense industries, will shut down by Aug. 1.

The company did not immediately return a request for comment from FreightWaves.

Amazon

Amazon is laying off 52 employees across four facilities in Sunnyvale, California, according to WARN filings. 

The layoffs include 33 employees from Amazon Lab126, an engineering and technology hub, as well as 19 employees from technology and fulfillment centers in the city.

Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) did not provide a reason for the job cuts.

Related: International Paper closes Texas plants, cuts 117 jobs 

The post Freight industry layoffs surge across California, Texas appeared first on FreightWaves.