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How the warehouse boom devoured America’s workforce

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Ralph D. Freso/Reuters

Business Insider, October 2022

Never in its history — perhaps even in the midst of the Great Depression — has America lost as many jobs in a few short weeks as it did at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. In April 2020, more than 20 million Americans from all walks of life suddenly found themselves out of work. The country, like most of the world, was closed for business — and it took until August of this year for employment to finally return to pre-pandemic levels. Even today, staffing hasn’t fully bounced back in many sectors, from hospitality to healthcare.

But not at America’s warehouses. Thanks to the pandemic-driven boom in online shopping, the country’s fulfillment and distribution centers continued to staff up at a furious pace. Today they employ 1.8 million Americans — up 37% since January 2020 and up 183% from January 2010.

Continue reading at Business Insider.

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