Walmart, America's largest private employer, has announced plans to lay off or relocate approximately 1,000 corporate employees as part of a restructuring effort aimed at combining its global technology and product teams. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Walmart executives Daniel Danker, head of global AI acceleration, and Suresh Kumar, head of global technology, communicated the decision in a memo to staff, stating that the move is intended to improve efficiency. "In some cases, we've had different teams working on similar problems," they wrote, noting that affected employees could apply for other open roles within the company.
Relocation and Consolidation
The company has asked many impacted employees to relocate to Walmart's headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, or its Northern California offices. This follows a pattern of consolidating staff into major hubs, including earlier layoffs at its Hoboken, New Jersey office. The retail giant has been streamlining operations to better align its workforce with strategic priorities.
Walmart's AI and Tech Investments
Walmart has been heavily investing in AI and automation, hiring Danker last summer to accelerate its global AI strategy. While rivals like Meta and Amazon have cut jobs citing AI-driven restructuring, Walmart emphasized that its changes are about organizational alignment rather than handing over more tasks to artificial intelligence. The retailer has been on a sales-growth streak, expanding profits beyond retail through advertising and cost reductions. Recently, Walmart combined its global technology platforms across Sam's Club, Walmart U.S., and its international business. CEO John Furner said the integration would allow growth "at a much lower marginal cost than what it has historically."
Tech Hiring Slowdown Extends to Walmart
Last month, it was reported that the tech hiring slowdown that has impacted Silicon Valley hirings of foreign workers has now reached the world's largest retailer. According to a report, Walmart submitted just 312 certified H-1B visa applications in the final three months of 2025, a reduction of more than half compared to roughly 860 applications in the same period a year earlier, and approximately 40% below its level from two years ago. Citing data from the US Department of Labor, Business Insider attributed this to changes in the work visa program that began rolling out in September. Walmart's competitors like Target, Home Depot, and Lowe's each saw relatively consistent H-1B numbers over the same two-year window.
