UPS cutting around 20,000 jobs; 164 buildings closing

The United Parcel Service (UPS) is expected to reduce its workforce by roughly 20,000 during 2025, citing "new or increased tariffs" and "changes in general economic conditions in the U.S. or internationally" for the cuts.

UPS announced the layoffs April 29 in its first quarter earnings report, in which the parcel delivery service said it made consolidated revenues of $21.5 billion, compared to $21.7 billion around the same time a year ago. The shipping company also said it would be closing roughly 164 facilities by the end of the year.

Consolidation efforts for UPS come as President Donald Trump's looming tariffs continue to impact U.S. and global trade, as companies across the country are reducing costs in preparation for a possible economic fallout. In 2024, UPS employed around 490,000 people worldwide, including about 330,000 Teamsters-represented jobs in the U.S.

UPS reducing Amazon delivery volume by 50%: CFO

For UPS specifically, it cautioned in January that it was expediting its plan to reduce millions of deliveries for its largest customer, Amazon.com, which accounted for 11.8% of its overall revenue in 2024, CNBC reported.

Lyondell Basell Industries to lay off 345 workers

HOUSTON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Lyondell Basell Industries (LYB) will lay off 345 workers, or 86% of the workforce, at its shuttered Houston refinery on April 17, according to a filing with the Texas Workforce Commission.

There are around 400 Lyondell employees working at the 263,776 barrel-per-day Houston refinery. About 70% of them are hourly workers represented by the United Steelworkers union (USW).

Reuters reported on February 18 that Lyondell Houston refinery layoffs were expected to begin in mid-April.

 

The workforce reduction comes after Lyondell completed the shutdown of the Houston refinery earlier this month, people familiar with plant operations told Reuters.

Houston Refining is one of the largest refineries in the United States designed to process heavy-sulfur crude oil, according to the company.

Starbucks lays off 1,100 corporate employees as coffee chain streamlines

Starbucks plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees globally as new Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol streamlines operations.

In a letter to employees released Monday, Niccol said the company will inform employees who are being laid off by mid-day Tuesday. Niccol said Starbucks is also eliminating several hundred open and unfilled positions.

“Our intent is to operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration,” Niccol wrote in the letter.

Starbucks has 16,000 corporate support employees worldwide, but that includes some employees who aren't impacted, like roasting and warehouse staff. Baristas in the company's stores are not included in the layoffs.

HSBC Plans New Round of Investment Bank Job Cuts Next Week

 (Bloomberg) -- HSBC Holdings Plc is kicking off a fresh round of job cuts at its investment bank as new Chief Executive Officer Georges Elhedery continues his overhaul of Europe’s biggest lender, according to people familiar with the matter.

(Bloomberg) -- HSBC Holdings Plc is kicking off a fresh round of job cuts at its investment bank as new Chief Executive Officer Georges Elhedery continues his overhaul of Europe’s biggest lender, according to people familiar with the matter.

Since taking charge in September, Elhedery has already cut the size of his own group executive committee by about a third. Reductions to senior staffers were expected to affect a little over 40% of the company’s top 175 managers, Bloomberg reported in December. The bank has said it expects to complete the moves by June.