Amazon will lay off 494 workers at its Port St. Lucie fulfillment center starting September 17, as the company begins a two-year, $200 million renovation of the facility.
The company filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) with state and local officials notifying them that 494 employees would be terminated September 17, down from earlier estimates that more than 800 positions could be affected.
Separations will take place in two waves, on Sept. 17 and Dec. 17, and the company has classified the layoffs as permanent under federal WARN Act rules, even as it says it hopes to bring workers back once the facility reopens.
Brian Bauer, president and CEO of CareerSource Research Coast, said in a statement:
"A Reduction in Workforce (RIF) is never the outcome anyone wants to see, but the reduction from the original layoff estimate of more than 800 positions to the official WARN number effected to be 494 demonstrates the significant effort Amazon and its partners have made to retain and redeploy workers whenever possible. CareerSource Research Coast is already preparing its Rapid Response team to support impacted employees with career counseling, resume assistance, job matching services, and access to training programs. We remain committed to helping these workers take the next step in their careers and connecting local employers with a highly skilled workforce."
Amazon employs roughly 850 people at the warehouse on Midway Road near Interstate 95. The company announced in May it would close the site for a $200 million expansion project that will add advanced robotics, automated conveyor systems and other technology meant to improve efficiency and expand fulfillment capacity. Construction is expected to continue through 2028.
Amazon had said it hoped to keep employees within the company by transferring them to other warehouses in South Florida during the renovation, and workers who accept another position within Amazon before their separation date will not be counted among the layoffs. The company has also offered a four-week severance package and transition healthcare support to affected workers.
The Port St. Lucie closure follows a similar move earlier this year at Amazon's Homestead facility, which affected approximately 616 employees beginning July 2.