Walmart is cutting 1,500 jobs in a bid to reduce expenses and streamline decision-making, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
A separate Bloomberg report stated that the layoffs will affect corporate staff at the company’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, as well as employees in other office locations.
The cuts include roles within Walmart’s global technology team, according to sources familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly.
The company will also eliminate some roles and opening some new ones, according to the plan.
The H1B row
News of Walmart cutting jobs in technology has reignited the H1B row, with some accusing the world’s biggest retailer of undercutting American jobs for its own profit.
The H1B programme allows skilled workers to live and work legally in the United States. Indians make up the largest group of H1B visa holders in the United States, particularly in the technology sector. Most Indian H1B visa holders work in IT, and there have been concerns about H1Bs replacing American employees.
Some companies have been accused of using the H1B system to place workers in the US temporarily and then shift the work offshore to India.
The India connection
A discussion thread on TheLayoff.com featured several users blaming Indian workers for allegedly taking jobs that they believe should go to Americans.
One commenter compared entering Walmart’s David Glass Technology Center (DGTC) in Bentonville to arriving in an Indian airport.
“The problem with the H1B topic is that if you walk into DGTC you might as well have stepped out of an airport in India,” the person wrote. “They don't even have the common respect to speak English while at the office.”
The same user added, “They're also taking jobs away from US citizens. All the while they're sending their money back to India and refusing to assimilate into our society.”
Amid the criticism, a different comment pushed back against the anti-immigrant sentiment:
“Stop hating H1B people folks — No new H1B hires in Sunnyvale since 2024. The main issue isn't H1B, but outsourcing. It's US companies outsourcing for cheaper labor that's impacting jobs, not the visa holders,” the user wrote, although their comment received multiple downvotes.
Another widely downvoted response said,
“There's no reason to resort to racism. If you're looking for someone to hold accountable, consider Trump — these layoffs are a result of the tariffs.”
Adding another perspective, one user shared that they personally knew Indian workers who had been affected by Walmart's layoffs.
Source: Agencies
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