Huge layoffs are coming for Cargill's, the largest food trading company in the US amid dropping profits, and a long-awaited slow in inflation.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Cargill's has been able to make the most of the vicious levels of inflation over the past few years. But now they are feeling the pinch. Grocery prices are finally leveling out, and the Minnesota-based agricultural plant is having to pull back on spending a bit, with layoffs being their first cutback.
Of their 164,000 employees, 8,000 people will be laid off, to 'trim the fat' as they say. Undoubtedly, the bottom line of employees will be the first to go. Many factory workers and delivery drivers will lose their jobs first.
Cargill is usually quite tight-lipped about its earnings, being the absolute titan of commerce that it is. However, reports of its 2024 earnings state that it took $160 billion in annual revenue in 2024. This is a big drop from the $177 billion the previous year. This is a big part of why the layoffs across Cargill's company are needed.
Cargill Layoffs Are Bad For Some But A Good Sign For Others
Of course, a lot of people are going to be losing their jobs in these layoffs, in a country that is already struggling with unemployment. However, it is due to a factor that many will find favorable.
The drop in grocery prices around the county is what has hit companies like Cargill in their profits. Post-pandemic, companies profiting from the panic and manufactured shortages have had to wind it back a bit. They can no longer use Covid-19 as an excuse to squeeze money from people.
Profits made by many companies, including Cargill's, went stratospheric during the pandemic, as they all chose to start inflating prices. The inflation wasn't due to their costs going up, but simply as a way to earn more. Their success was clear. Over the past five years, many agriculture sectors and retailers have seen record profits.
But, now, they are having to pull back on bleeding the country dry. In the process, many will suffer from layoffs. But, in the long run, we will be comfortable knowing we only have to pay an average of 25% more for our food than we did five years ago.
