Walmart Cuts 400 Jobs At Florida Distribution Facility

DAVENPORT, FL — Retail giant Walmart plans to cut 400 jobs at a distribution facility in Polk County, the latest in a series of layoffs the company has made at Florida locations in recent weeks, according to a report.

In a letter to Polk County officials, the company said it's reducing its workforce at an e-commerce distribution center at 5100 N. Ridge Trl. in Davenport.

According to the letter, workers were notified of the layoffs in late February. Employees will be paid for 90 days while searching for new jobs.

Affected employees were allowed to apply for open positions at other Walmart stores, according to the letter. Workers who didn't accept new positions will "separate from Walmart effective June 2," the letter reads.

This is the third time this year Walmart executives have notified Florida officials about planned job cuts in the state, according to a Business Observer report.

In February, the company said it would lay off 71 people due to a store closure in Pinellas Park, the Business Observer reported. Last week, the company also said it planned to lay off 69 people who worked in field maintenance in Jacksonville.

Florida isn't the only state affected by job cuts at Walmart. According to a report by Reuters, the company also plans to cut hundreds of workers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and California.

Fears of a coming recession have prompted more than 17,400 retail job cuts so far in 2023, compared with 761 in the same period last year, Reuters reported.