Camperforce Caravan: Amazon's Nomadic Retiree Army

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on Amazon's Camperforce program, which recruits retired individuals living in RVs to work during peak seasons at fulfillment centers, particularly in Coffeyville, Kansas. This initiative began in 2008 as a solution to labor shortages faced by Amazon during the holiday rush. The conversation also touches on broader labor shortages in agriculture, particularly in California, where native-born Americans are increasingly uninterested in farm work despite rising wages. The mention of migrant labor and the challenges of finding reliable workers highlights significant trends in the labor market.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of seasonal labor dynamics in retail and agriculture
  • Familiarity with the concept of nomadic lifestyles and RV living
  • Knowledge of labor market trends and migration patterns
  • Awareness of Amazon's operational strategies and staffing solutions
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the impact of Amazon's Camperforce program on local economies
  • Explore labor market trends in agriculture, focusing on California's workforce challenges
  • Investigate the implications of nomadic workforces on traditional employment models
  • Learn about the technological advancements in agriculture, such as automation and robotics
USEFUL FOR

Retirees considering a nomadic lifestyle, labor market analysts, agricultural business owners, and anyone interested in the intersection of seasonal work and demographic trends.

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This article is geared for retired folks who long to live a nomadic existence but still need to make ends meet:

https://www.wired.com/story/meet-camperforce-amazons-nomadic-retiree-army/

A selected quote from the article:
In the mid-2000s, Amazon had a problem. Every year, the company scrambled to find temporary workers during the peak months of hectic commerce leading up to Christmas. In some areas of the country, reliable on-demand labor was so hard to come by that it resorted to busing in workers from three to five hours away. Then, in 2008, a staffing agency came up with something new: inviting a team of migrant RVers to work at the facility in Coffeyville, Kansas.
 
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jedishrfu said:
This article is geared for retired folks who long to live a nomadic existence but still need to make ends meet:

https://www.wired.com/story/meet-camperforce-amazons-nomadic-retiree-army/

...
Weird. I was actually thinking about basically the same thing yesterday.
Though, it was more about harvesting crops.
I read the other day that California has been having a difficult time finding farm labor for a few years.

As California’s labor shortage grows, farmers race to replace workers with robots
By GEOFFREY MOHAN
Photography by GARY CORONADO
JULY 21, 2017 | REPORTING FROM SALINAS, CALIF.

After decades of crackdowns, the net flow across the U.S.-Mexico border reversed in 2005, a trend that accelerated through 2014, according to a Pew Research Center study. And native-born Americans aren’t interested in the job, even at wages that have soared at higher than average rates.​

hmm...
Picking crops was my first paying job. Funny to think that it might also be my last. Nice weather though, as long as you get to work by the crack of dawn, and quit before it gets too hot.

Side benefit:
You can eat all the strawberries you want. (As long as the field boss doesn't catch you. Bosses are stupid...)