Amazon this morning announced its intentions to open a pair of robotic-powered fulfillment centers in Ohio. The two warehouses — both larger than 700,000 square feet — will be located in the north of the state, in Akron and Rossford, respectively.
They’ll function much like Amazon’s other shipping centers, providing a collaborative workspace between human employees and the company’s growing army of shipping robots. You can get a better look at how that goes down in this piece from our recent visit to a Staten Island location.
The company’s become accustomed to getting out in front of the conversations about automation taking away human jobs, noting than the two spaces will combine to create more than 2,500 full-time positions. Last year’s pushback from Senator Bernie Sanders also means that the full-time gigs will qualify for its $15 minimum wage.
The new locations should also help the company as it pushes into one-day shipping across the U.S. There’s been a fair amount of concern over how much strain such a move will ultimately put on human employees, who are already reportedly strained to hit their current goals.
The additional 2,500 jobs brings Amazon’s total employment up to 8,500 in the midwestern state. No exact word on timing for the two warehouses.
Ecommerce
via https://www.AiUpNow.com
Brian Heater, Khareem Sudlow
