UPS cutting 20,000 jobs as social media users slam Trump for risking 'voluntary recession'

UPS has announced that it plans to cut its workforce by approximately 20,000 positions during 2025.

The company, which is the largest package delivery firm in the world, is winding down its relationship with Amazon amid growing uncertainty surrounding the Trump tariffs.

As Reuters reports, CEO Carol Tomé said on a company earnings call: "The world has not been faced with such enormous potential impacts to trade in more than 100 years.”

UPS previously announced it would eliminate more than half of its business with Amazon by 2026.

“Amazon is our largest customer, but it’s not our most profitable customer,” Tomé said back in January.

Amazon said Tuesday it continues to have a "strong working relationship" with UPS.

"Due to their operational needs, UPS requested a reduction in volume and we certainly respect their decision," Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, told CBS News. "We'll continue to partner with them and many other carriers to serve our customers.”

UPS also nodded to ongoing concerns around the global economic environment. It comes amid growing concerns around the Trump tariffs, with the Trump administration’s response to Amazon’s now-cancelled plans to display costs associated with the tariffs on its website sparking a backlash online.

The UPS announcement caused people on social media to hit out at the trade policies put in place by Trump and his administration, as Trump reaches 100 days into his second term as President.

Political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen tweeted in response to the news: "Trump is the first president in US history to [voluntarily] cause a recession."

Commentator Alex Cole added: "Don't worry UPS workers, while you are out there looking for a new job in Trump's shitty economy, at least you can think about how we renamed the Gulf of Mexico."

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