Kroger’s announcement that it will be laying off thousands of corporate workers arrives as economic concerns have emerged as the defining issue of the midterm elections in Ohio. The supermarket giant is laying off about 3,000 people over the next three years, according to an internal memo seen by outlets including and Bloomberg. That’s equivalent to about 37 percent of its 8,200 corporate employees.
The company is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, as the Buckeye State has become a critical battleground in this year’s elections. The city’s corporate office could be hit hard by the layoffs, though cuts will not be limited to Cincinnati, reported The Cincinnati Business Courier. Kroger is the largest company in Greater Cincinnati, reporting $148 billion in revenue in 2025, according to the report.
The memo also outlined CEO Greg Foran’s desire to further integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into Kroger’s operations. While Kroger has not said how many positions will be eliminated in Ohio, the cuts come as voters in the state consistently rank the economy among their top concerns. The announcement of the shake-up arrives amid broader anxiety about the economy and job market, particularly as AI introduces new uncertainty for many Americans.
Democrats and Republicans are both running on themes of affordability and bringing down prices to try to reach undecided voters in the final weeks of the campaign. Ohio’s statewide races have become sharply competitive, despite the state’s rightward drift over the past decades. Democrat Amy Acton, former director of the Ohio Department of Health, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy are in a toss-up race for governor, while Republican Senator Jon Husted is facing a challenge from Democratic former Senator Sherrod Brown.
Newsweek reached out to each of their campaigns for comment via email. Ohio once was a premier swing state, backing former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 before supporting President Donald Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024, including by a double-digit margin in the most recent election. But Democrats believe the state can be competitive this year, as Trump’s low nationwide approval rating fuels a more favorable national environment for Democrats.
The Senate race holds implications for control of the upper chamber, as it's among a handful of toss-ups that could determine the balance of power. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority that is seen as increasingly at risk. Democrats must flip four seats to win a majority, as Vance would serve as the tiebreaker in a 50-50 Senate.
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