Work

The e-commerce labour regime: Amazon and beyond

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This article analyses the e-commerce labour regime, arguing that its impact on labour strategy in the US warehouse industry must be understood both within and beyond the ‘Amazon effect’. Through a programme of semi-structured interviews with warehouse operators and industry observers, we explore how societal norms and workplace practices, including the racialisation and gendering of warehouse labour markets, underpin interfirm competition. We find significant divergence in labour strategy between Amazon and third-party logistics providers (3PLs), which highlights the interplay between technological advancements and labour strategies and how these impact employment in the e-commerce warehouse sector.

Source: Work Organisation Labour & Globalisation

DOI: 10.13169/workorgalaboglob.19.2.0011

Authors: Nik Theodore, Beth Gutelius

Institutions: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois System

Language: English

Topic: Digital Economy and Work Transformation

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation