Houston-based Waste Management will continue to shed jobs in 2025 by reducing dependency on roles that require physical labor and turning more to technology and automation for its services, Govt Tech Insider reported.
“There has been a long-term plan to not backfill specific vacated roles. By 2026, we’re anticipating that will lead to the reduction of about 5,000 positions,” said Kelly Caplan, senior director of external communications. ”At the same time, increased automation is reducing the demand for these types of labor-intensive roles.”
The waste-and-recycling business has its headquarters in Houston. According to Stock Analysis, the company had about 48,000 employees at the end of 2023.
The Wall Street Journal reported in January that about 1,000 positions will be impacted in 2025 eliminating about 650 trucking positions by modernizing its fleet. Upgrades to its recycling plant in 2025 will reduce that workforce by 350.
“WM is increasing the use of technology and automation which will reduce labor dependency for roles that are challenging to recruit and retain across North America,” according to a statement from the company. “Technology is helping us mitigate the business risk associated with high attrition rates for these roles — a challenge not only for WM but for the industry at large. We’ve had a long-term plan to implement technology solutions when available for hard-to-fill roles.”
On Jan. 30, Waste Management Chief Executive Jim Fish spoke to Jim Cramer about the future of the Waste Management workforce.
“Our average heavy equipment operator is approaching 53 years old. It becomes difficult to find folks to drive a truck or to work on a piece of heavy equipment,” Fish said on the show. “So this is almost by necessity that we’re using technology to replace difficult-to-hire roles. I think one thing that I wanted to make sure I was clear about on here, though, is we’re not laying folks off. All we’re doing is using attrition. Some of those jobs have very high turnover rates.”
He estimated the turnover for those working at the back of the truck was as high as 50%.
In 2024, Waste Management struck a deal to acquire medical waste services provider Stericycle. Based outside Chicago in Bannockburn, Ill., Stericycle provides medical waste collection, compliance and secure information destruction services, according to a Houston Chronicle report last year.
