Robots have rushed in to fill jobs people don't want. What happens if recession hits?

Amazon will soon deploy the Proteus robot in fulfillment and sorting centers.

Amazon

What's the state of retail and e-commerce? When it comes to fulfilling orders, it's clearly gone to the robots, and there's no turning back.

That's the conclusion of a new state of the industry report by Berkshire Gray. The reason will be familiar to those who have tracked industries like durable goods manufacturing, agriculture, and commercial trucking: A new generation of workers don't want jobs with low pay, low stability, and high burnout. While this can be framed through a number of lenses (the one that always makes me chuckle is "they're lazy!"), the unquestionable outcome is a massive turn toward automation, specifically robots.

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"Labor issues across industries continue to vacillate, but unlike the temporary shortages seen in other industries, continued e-commerce growth and shifts in generational employment preferences are uniquely impacting the fulfillment industry and predicted to lead to long-term labor shortages that will only compound in the coming years," said Steve Johnson, president and COO at Berkshire Grey. "In addition to compensation strategies, companies need to utilize robotics automation in order to stay ahead of this demographic shift. Not only is it a huge attractor for young talent due to the increased safety and specialized upskilling it enables, it is also a game changer in terms of cost reduction, throughput and ROI."

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