Walmart Lays Off 1,500 Employees As Part Of Restructuring Effort; Details Inside

Retail giant Walmart is trimming its corporate workforce at its Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters and other locations, as it looks to cut costs amid ongoing economic uncertainty, according to a Bloomberg report.

The job cuts impact fewer than 1,500 employees, primarily within Walmart’s global technology division. Despite the layoffs, Walmart’s stock remained largely unchanged in after-hours trading. 

Follows Earlier Reorganisation

This latest move follows a February restructuring in which Walmart eliminated roles and required some employees to relocate to centralised hubs in Arkansas and California. With around 1.6 million employees in the US, Walmart remains the nation’s largest private-sector employer.

Also Read: Global Growth Remains Fragile, But Indian Economy Shows Resilience: RBI

Trade Tensions and Tariff Pressures

In addition to internal restructuring, Walmart is grappling with external pressures from US-China trade tensions. As the largest US importer, sourcing roughly 60 per cent of its imports from China, including apparel, electronics, and toys, Walmart recently announced it would raise prices on certain goods by the end of May due to higher supply chain costs driven by tariffs.

Last week, President Donald Trump sharply criticized the retailer's pricing decisions, arguing that Walmart should absorb the tariff costs rather than pass them on to consumers. “Walmart should stop trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain. Walmart made billions of dollars last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China, they should, as is said, ‘eat the tariffs’, and not charge valued customers anything,” Trump posted on social media.

Walmart’s Response

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon responded by noting that the company’s already-thin margins limit its ability to absorb the full impact of tariffs. The company has historically prioritised cost-efficiency to maintain its low-price reputation, making it especially sensitive to added costs from import duties.

business