Amazon Workers on Food Stamps Despite Its Record Revenue
The U.S. workforce has just made the type of history it likely wishes it didn't. Working Americans are taking home the smallest percentage of economic output, 52.8%, since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the metric in 1947.
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LampLighter
Joined 2013/04/13Visited 2026/09/17
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"These are families that are really barely able to make ends meet, and yet they are working, and they are working a lot."[image or embed] -- Futurism (@futurism.com) 12:45 AM · Sep 15, 2026
"These are families that are really barely able to make ends meet, and yet they are working, and they are working a lot."[image or embed]
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More from the article ...
... But as the share of wealth workers take home through wages"called labor share"is shrinking, corporate profits have exploded, with the S&P 500 index gaining 600% since the beginning of the century, while wages have increased just 12.5% over the same period, adjusted for inflation. In other words: Corporations are raking in cash, but American workers are reaping less and less of the rewards. The consequences associated with shrinking labor shares are now becoming tangible. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that across the 11 states sampled, Amazon, the country's largest company by revenue, has 12,346 workers on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and 11,338 relying on Medicaid. That was nearly triple the number of Amazon employees in need of federal assistance compared to 2020, when GAO conducted a similar report. During that same period, Amazon saw an increase in annual profits from $11.6 billion to $77.7 billion. Amazon's 2025 revenue soared 12% year over year, from $638 billion to a record $717 billion. ...
In other words: Corporations are raking in cash, but American workers are reaping less and less of the rewards.
The consequences associated with shrinking labor shares are now becoming tangible.
A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that across the 11 states sampled, Amazon, the country's largest company by revenue, has 12,346 workers on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and 11,338 relying on Medicaid.
That was nearly triple the number of Amazon employees in need of federal assistance compared to 2020, when GAO conducted a similar report.
During that same period, Amazon saw an increase in annual profits from $11.6 billion to $77.7 billion. Amazon's 2025 revenue soared 12% year over year, from $638 billion to a record $717 billion. ...
#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-15 12:32 PM | Reply
Yeah but billionaires...
#2 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-09-15 04:35 PM | Reply
You don't become a billionaire by paying your employees.
Ask the Walton family.
#3 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-09-15 04:39 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2
Hey, those rockets to nowhere don't fly for free. Someone has GOT to pay ...
#4 | Posted by catdog at 2026-09-15 08:57 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1
anyone here own the stock?
#5 | Posted by South_American at 2026-09-15 11:47 PM | Reply
Google. The avarage Amazon worker with benefits makes $32.00 per hour. that means there is food stamp fraud being committed
#6 | Posted by Maverick at 2026-09-16 12:56 PM | Reply
"The avarage Amazon worker.."
Not everyone makes the "average" wage bro. What about those workers below the average? Or way below average. Are they committing fraud by needing food stamps.
Think before you post. It kinda looks like you are lying. Again. If that's the look you are going for then it's working well.
#7 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-09-16 01:19 PM | Reply
@#6 ... The avarage Amazon worker with benefits makes $32.00 per hour. ...
Without benefits, the hourly starting pay was just raised to $20 an hour, with average pay around $24 an hour.
Amazon raises minimum starting pay for full-time core operations employees to $20/hour, with average pay reaching nearly $24/hour www.cnbctv18.com
... According to the company, the pay increase of $1 an hour is effective immediately and will take the average hourly pay for full-time core operations employees to nearly $24 an hour. Including the value of benefits, average total compensation will exceed $32 an hour. ...
#8 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-16 01:23 PM | Reply
So...just under .08% of Amazon employees are on SNAP, and it's an "Amazon" problem?
The other 99.02% seemed to have figured it out.
#9 | Posted by madbomber at 2026-09-17 10:20 AM | Reply
"despite record revenue" not penetrate?
#10 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2026-09-17 10:26 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1
#9 | POSTED BY MADBOMBER
What's wrong with a bonus?
It was obviously earned.
#11 | Posted by Zed at 2026-09-17 11:18 AM | Reply
"despite record revenue" not penetrate? #10 | POSTED BY ALEXANDRITE
A company could actually be losing money "despite record revenue".
#12 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-09-17 11:26 AM | Reply
@#8 ... The other 99.02% seemed to have figured it out. ...
Not really.
Entry-level workers have the problem with Amazon not paying them a living wage, while Amazon profits are increasing ...
... Amazon annual/quarterly gross profit history and growth rate from 2012 to 2026. Gross profit can be defined as the profit a company makes after deducting the variable costs directly associated with making and selling its products or providing its services. Amazon gross profit for the quarter ending June 30, 2026 was $104.828B, a 20.64% increase year-over-year. Amazon gross profit for the twelve months ending June 30, 2026 was $393.810B, a 18.48% increase year-over-year. Amazon annual gross profit for 2025 was $360.51B, a 15.67% increase from 2024. Amazon annual gross profit for 2024 was $311.671B, a 15.41% increase from 2023. Amazon annual gross profit for 2023 was $270.046B, a 19.94% increase from 2022. ...
Amazon gross profit for the quarter ending June 30, 2026 was $104.828B, a 20.64% increase year-over-year.
Amazon gross profit for the twelve months ending June 30, 2026 was $393.810B, a 18.48% increase year-over-year.
Amazon annual gross profit for 2025 was $360.51B, a 15.67% increase from 2024.
Amazon annual gross profit for 2024 was $311.671B, a 15.41% increase from 2023.
Amazon annual gross profit for 2023 was $270.046B, a 19.94% increase from 2022. ...
Are Amazon's wages for its employees increasing at even 1/3 the rate of the profit increase?
#13 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-17 11:41 AM | Reply
@#13
Oops, forgot the link ...
www.macrotrends.net
#14 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-09-17 11:42 AM | Reply
yes, but it that what's going on with Amazon? Oh, it isn't? Then your pedantic bs is worthless as ever.
Someday you'll make a point, and not be wrong. Someday.
#15 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2026-09-17 11:53 AM | Reply
-So...just under .08% of Amazon employees are on SNAP, and it's an "Amazon" problem?
What other employers can we haul in for a flogging over that % of employees on government assistance?
Let's start with the military. Then we can move onto school districts, city and county employees, etc....
Then.....once we agree the real wage is over $30 an hour.....ask the question you are avoiding.
There is a question at the end of this...........what do you want anybody to do about it?
There is no legal mechanism that forces Amazon to pay profits back to employees.....union contracts might address that and that's fine. but you can't force a union.....
We can agree it's unfair for Amazon to pocket those increased profits if they aren't treating employees equitably. Despite what they say, most people agree with that.
But what do you want to do about it?
#16 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-17 01:08 PM | Reply
-A company could actually be losing money "despite record revenue".
setting aside the confusion between revenue and profits........let's just jump to a company that actually lost money.
They incurred a net loss. Believe me it happens and it's happening right now everywhere.
what do you want to happen to the wages of those employees?
I have a few clients that are on their 2nd or 3rd year in a row they had a net operating loss.
These are real cycles in the real world.
Those wages aren't going backward....benefits are still being provided. All that's happening is that there is natural attrition occurring. When someone leaves or retires.....they might not replace that person.
But the employee group is being treated the same.........while their employer is incurring a net loss.
What do you want happen there?
#17 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-17 01:12 PM | Reply
"what do you want to happen to the wages of those employees?"
Revenue is a product of the workers. Expenses are a product of the owners and investors.
If revenue increases, pay should increase.
The probability more-expensive assets are currently being amortized doesn't necessarily mean the business equation itself is losing money.
#18 | Posted by Danforth at 2026-09-17 01:18 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1
-So...just under .08% of Amazon employees are on SNAP, and it's an "Amazon" problem? What other employers can we haul in for a flogging over that % of employees on government assistance? Let's start with the military. Then we can move onto school districts, city and county employees, etc.... Then.....once we agree the real wage is over $30 an hour.....ask the question you are avoiding. There is a question at the end of this...........what do you want anybody to do about it? There is no legal mechanism that forces Amazon to pay profits back to employees.....union contracts might address that and that's fine. but you can't force a union..... We can agree it's unfair for Amazon to pocket those increased profits if they aren't treating employees equitably. Despite what they say, most people agree with that. But what do you want to do about it? #16 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-17 01:08 PM
Burn out the billionaire class?
Ooh! 100% tax over 1 million?
Abolish Citizens United and prosecute corrupt legislators, judges, etc?
OR, would you prefer the collapse of the dollar, oil and government services?
Because I gotta feelin.. a false flag feelin.. that the Epstein class will rape, pillage and steal until stopped.
#19 | Posted by redlightrobot at 2026-09-17 03:02 PM | Reply
"Revenue is a product of the workers"
Let's compare 2 workers.
1 works in a warehouse......works along a moving conveyer moving products around, drives a forklift.....basic duties of a warehouse worker. His employer rakes in billions in profits
The other works for a family owned smaller lumberyard. works along a moving conveyer moving products around, drives a forklift....basic duties of a warehouse worker. His employer had a net profit of $40K last year.
How do you equitably treat each of these workers.........who have very similar jobs.....but the bottom line of their employers are vastly different.
Am I asking a fair question?
#20 | Posted by eberly at 2026-09-17 03:25 PM | Reply
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