Robots could take over 700,000 delivery jobs

JD.com expects robots to replace 700,000 couriers

JD.com has about 700,000 couriers, and its founder and chairman, Richard Liu, expects robots to eventually take over package delivery. “It will definitely be robots delivering packages,” Liu said at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Forum, according to the Financial Times.

The scale matters. Delivery is a labor-intensive part of eCommerce. Automating it could change JD.com’s labor requirements and operating model. Robots can perform repeatable delivery tasks without the same staffing model as human courier networks. For JD.com, the strategic question is therefore how to manage the transition as robotic systems become capable and economical enough for wider deployment.

The main constraint is deployment at scale. A prediction that robots will eventually deliver packages does not establish how quickly they can handle the range of locations and operating conditions covered by 700,000 couriers. The timing will depend on the technology reaching sufficient reliability and operational maturity for large-scale commercial use.

Labor is an equally important management issue. Liu explicitly linked his automation forecast with concern about employment, saying, “But I really don’t want our 700,000 brothers to go without food and without jobs.” JD.com therefore faces two connected tasks: automate delivery where the economics work and create viable career paths for employees whose existing roles may disappear.

For executives, JD.com provides a useful signal about the direction of logistics automation. When a company with roughly 700,000 couriers plans around eventual robotic delivery, automation becomes a long-term workforce and operating-model issue. Companies exposed to similar technology should plan skills, job design and capital investment before automation reaches full deployment.

JD.com is retraining couriers for jobs created by automation

JD.com has agreements with about 120 schools to retrain couriers for new professions, according to Richard Liu, the company’s founder and chairman. The training includes robot repair and maintenance. This gives workers a path from delivery work into technical roles that could expand as JD.com deploys more robotic systems.

The strategy addresses a core constraint in large-scale automation: skills. Robots still require people to install, inspect, repair and maintain them. As JD.com automates delivery, demand for some forms of manual work could fall while demand for technical support skills grows. Training existing employees can help the company build that capability internally.

For executives, the sequencing matters. Workforce development needs to begin before automation removes large numbers of existing roles. Technical training takes time, and employees need practical skills that match the jobs created by the new operating model. JD.com’s partnerships with roughly 120 schools suggest that the company is preparing educational capacity ahead of a broader transition.

Retraining also has limits that management must address. A courier role and a robot-maintenance role require different skills and may support different numbers of workers. The business case therefore depends on how many new positions automation creates, what capabilities those positions require and how successfully employees can qualify for them. Training should connect directly to measurable workforce demand.

Liu has framed employment as a central concern. Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Forum, he said he did not want JD.com’s roughly 700,000 couriers to lose their jobs and livelihoods as robots take over delivery. The company’s education partnerships turn that concern into an early workforce strategy.

For C-suite leaders, the broader lesson is practical. Automation planning should include the future workforce design from the start. Identify which jobs will decline, define the skills required by emerging roles, and build training capacity against those requirements. JD.com’s approach shows how technology investment and workforce preparation can proceed together.

China’s labor market raises the stakes for delivery automation

China’s gig workforce is expected to reach about 320 million this year, according to Chinese researchers. This group includes delivery drivers, chauffeurs and factory workers on temporary contracts. At the same time, China’s youth unemployment rate stands above 16%. These figures make JD.com’s automation plans relevant far beyond its roughly 700,000 couriers.

The central issue is job absorption. Automation can reduce demand for workers performing repetitive delivery tasks while increasing demand for people with technical skills. The new roles may include robot repair and maintenance, areas JD.com already plans to address through agreements with about 120 schools. The scale and skills required for those jobs will determine how much displaced labor can move into new work.

High youth unemployment makes this transition more sensitive. Workers leaving automated occupations may enter a labor market where many young people are already seeking employment. For companies deploying automation at scale, workforce planning therefore becomes part of execution risk. Rapid technology adoption can create operational gains while also increasing retraining requirements and pressure on recruitment systems.

Executives should focus on the rate and composition of workforce change. A large pool of gig workers can support flexible business models, but widespread automation may alter demand for these roles across several industries at once. Companies need a clear view of which occupations will contract, which technical jobs will grow and which skills can realistically be taught at scale.

JD.com’s approach offers one response. Richard Liu, founder and chairman of JD.com, has expressed concern about protecting the livelihoods of the company’s approximately 700,000 couriers while predicting that robots will eventually handle package delivery. The agreements with roughly 120 schools connect that concern to a concrete retraining effort.

For C-suite leaders, the implication is clear. Automation strategy and workforce strategy need to develop together. In a market with an estimated 320 million gig workers and youth unemployment above 16%, companies that automate large workforces should plan early for reskilling, job transitions and the technical talent required to operate the new systems.

Key highlights

• Plan now for large-scale delivery automation: JD.com expects robots to eventually replace its roughly 700,000 couriers. Leaders should treat automation as a long-term operating model and workforce planning decision.
• Build skills before jobs change: JD.com has agreements with about 120 schools to retrain couriers for roles including robot repair and maintenance. Executives should connect automation investments with training tied to future technical roles.
• Factor labor-market pressure into automation plans: China’s gig workforce is expected to reach about 320 million while youth unemployment exceeds 16%. Large employers should plan workforce transitions carefully as automation changes demand for labor.