The pressure to deliver online orders faster and cheaper is making warehouse jobs more intense, stressful, and dangerous, according to new Cornell-led research examining working conditions inside the nation’s growing e-commerce fulfillment industry.
The study, published May 19 in the ILR Review, found employees working in e-commerce-focused warehouses experienced significantly harsher conditions than workers at traditional distribution centers, with researchers pointing to the constant demand for rapid delivery as a major driver behind worsening workplace quality.
Researchers surveyed roughly 400 warehouse workers across the United States and found employees at business-to-consumer fulfillment centers — primarily tied to online shopping — reported higher stress levels, greater pressure to move quickly, fewer opportunities for breaks, and increased exposure to unsafe situations compared to workers in more traditional warehouses serving retail stores and manufacturers.
Cornell assistant professor Alexander Kowalski, the study’s lead author, said the findings suggest the modern e-commerce model is placing growing strain on workers behind the scenes.
“E-commerce heightens the frenzy among retailers to satisfy customers with convenience, speed and cheap prices,” Kowalski said. “That all erodes job quality for workers behind the scenes.”
The research also compared conditions between Amazon and Walmart warehouses, surveying more than 1,400 Amazon workers and roughly 450 Walmart employees. Researchers found Amazon fulfillment centers consistently ranked worse across categories including job intensity, safety concerns, worker well-being, wages, fairness, and injury risks.
According to the study, Amazon’s emphasis on delivery speed appeared to create more pressure on workers than Walmart’s focus on low prices.
Researchers said the findings raise concerns as e-commerce continues expanding nationwide. Warehouse employment in the United States has tripled over the past two decades as online shopping has grown to account for more than 16% of retail sales.
The study also found that warehouse jobs tied to e-commerce often involve unpredictable demand, digital worker surveillance, repetitive tasks, and algorithm-driven performance management.
Still, researchers said the differences between major retailers show poor working conditions are not inevitable. Kowalski argued that companies could improve conditions by involving workers more in operational decision-making and reducing pressure tied to ultra-fast delivery expectations.
“We are going down a path that should be worrisome for workers and for consumers alike,” Kowalski said. “But one can arrange e-commerce operations in a way that shifts some of the burden off of workers.”
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