In 11 US states, the number of Amazon workers receiving government aid nearly tripled — Fortune
In a sample of 11 US states, the number of Amazon workers using government assistance programs nearly tripled compared with a 2020 study. According to a recent report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), 12,346 Amazon workers participated in the SNAP food assistance program, while 11,338 used Medicaid, Fortune reports.
The GAO said the number of Amazon workers who needed federal assistance was nearly three times higher than in the previous study in 2020. SNAP and Medicaid data do not mean these are two separate groups of workers.
Company financial performance
Over the same period, Amazon's annual profit rose from $11.6 billion to $77.7 billion. The company's revenue in 2025 increased by 12% year over year, from $638 billion to a record $717 billion.
Amazon spokesperson Rachel Lighty called the conclusion drawn from the GAO report “incorrect.” According to her, assessing only the absolute number of employees receiving assistance can be misleading. Lighty also said Amazon's pay is among the highest in the industry and that regular full-time employees have access to health insurance from their first day of work. She said 74% of such employees are enrolled in Amazon's health insurance program, compared with 65% in the private sector.
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Workers and government support
The Fortune article notes that Walmart, FedEx, as well as companies in transportation and delivery, also recorded a similar increase in the number of workers using federal assistance. Katherine Larin, GAO director for education, workforce, and income security, said that most recipients of such programs work, with many of them employed full time.
The income threshold for SNAP eligibility is about 130% of the poverty line. According to Larin, these data point to a significant number of people with very low incomes who struggle to meet basic needs despite being employed.
Fortune also notes that the share of US economic output going to labor compensation stood at 52.8%. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is the lowest figure since tracking of this indicator began in 1947.
