President Obama is expected to use his visit to an Amazon.com fulfillment center in Chattanooga, Tenn., today to announce a “grand bargain” on jobs, agreeing to cut corporate tax rates if Republicans go along with his plans to create jobs by investing in community colleges and public works projects, according to the New York Times.
Obama is scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. Pacific (2 p.m. Eastern) following a tour of the Amazon facility. Republicans are not on board with the proposal, according to the New York Times report.
In advance of the event, Amazon this weekend announced that it is adding 5,000 new full-time jobs at its fulfillment centers around the country, a 25 percent expansion of its workforce at the facilities. Amazon representatives at the event include Dave Clark, the company’s vice president of worldwide operations and customer service.
One potentially touchy subject for the company is its push into warehouse robotics, enabled in part by its acquisition of Kiva Systems. Automation is commonly viewed as a long-term threat to jobs. However, industry groups point to research showing that robotics can actually boost jobs by improving the overall competitiveness and efficiency of a company’s operations, making up for lost jobs with new types of positions.
Amazon’s overall job growth, including jobs at its Seattle headquarters, has been significant. The company has more than tripled in size in three years, now approaching 100,000 direct employees.
