Banking Corp.正在再裁减140个职位，这是澳大利亚疲软的住房市场以及人工智能技术使用增加正在冲击该国劳动力的最新迹象。
Banking Corp. is cutting another 140 roles, the latest sign that Australia’s weak housing market and an increased use of artificial intelligence technology are biting into the country’s workforce.
这家总部位于悉尼的银行本周向金融部门工会通报了140个职位的裁减，此前两周又向工会通报了另外102个裁减，一位西太平洋银行发言人表示。最新的裁减将针对银行各个部门的职位，工会周四的一份声明称，此前的裁减影响了西太平洋银行的风险、机构银行和财务团队。
The Sydney-based bank informed the Finance Sector Union of 140 job cuts this week, following a further 102 cuts announced to the union two weeks ago, according to a Westpac spokesperson. The latest cuts will target roles across the bank, according to a Thursday statement from the FSU, with the earlier reductions impacting Westpac’s risk, institutional banking and finance teams, the union said.
澳大利亚银行业在企业重组过程中出现了大量裁员。周二，澳大利亚国民银行有限公司宣布最多裁减2500个职位，就在澳新集团控股有限公司表示将削减约3500个职位一年多之后。五月，澳大利亚联邦银行表示可能会裁员，因为该银行正在增加人工智能的采用。
Australia’s banking sector has seen a slew of headcount reductions as firms restructure. On Tuesday, National Australia Bank Ltd. announced up to 2,500 job cuts just over a year after ANZ Group Holdings Ltd. said it would trim headcount by around 3,500. In May, Commonwealth Bank of Australia floated the prospect of job cuts as the bank increases its adoption of AI.
“我们的劳动力形状会根据集团的投资优先事项而变化，”西太平洋银行一位发言人在一份声明中表示。西太平洋银行拥有超过30000名员工。“随着客户习惯的改变，以及银行业所需的技能和能力不断演变，我们的劳动力也将随之改变。”
“The shape of our workforce changes according to the investment priorities of the Group,” a Westpac spokesperson said in a statement. Westpac has more than 30,000 staff. “As customer habits change, and the skills and capabilities required in banking continue to evolve, so will our workforce.”
西太平洋银行力求尽可能留住员工，并为离职者提供支持，该发言人表示。“虽然我们继续投资于额外的银行家、数字交付和面向客户的职位，但其他项目可能正在完成或需要更少的资源。”澳大利亚的失业率在最近几周已上升至4.7%，因为澳大利亚储备银行正在执行今年发达经济体中最激进的紧缩周期。
Westpac seeks to retain staff where possible and offers support for those who depart, the spokesperson said.“While we continue to invest in extra bankers, digital delivery and customer-facing roles, other programs may be completing or require fewer resources.”Australia’s jobless rate has ticked up to 4.7% in recent weeks as the Reserve Bank executes the most aggressive tightening cycle among developed economies this year.
根据金融部门工会的估计，这些裁员使银行业在过去两年中的裁员总数超过10000个。
The layoffs bring the total number of job reductions to more than 10,000 for the banking sector in the past two years, according to FSU estimates.
“尽管银行们提出了一系列宏观经济借口，但FSU认为，AI诱人的自动化潜力才是它们对这项新兴技术趋之若鹜的真正原因，”工会周四的声明称。“缺乏强有力的AI监管护栏，是另一个加剧员工脆弱感的因素。”裁员举动紧随住房市场的低迷，该低迷削弱了住房贷款业务——这一业务一直是澳大利亚银行传统的重要收入来源。该国央行的四次加息也给企业和家庭带来压力，削弱了信心。
“Although a range of macro-economic excuses have been offered by the banks, the FSU believes the seductive automation potential of AI is really driving their hunger for the emerging technology,” according to the union’s Thursday statement. “A lack of strong regulatory guardrails for AI is another factor adding to workers’ sense of vulnerability.”Moves to reduce staff follow a slump in the housing market that has weakened home lending — traditionally an important source of earnings for Australian banks. Four interest rate increases from the country’s central bank has also added pressure on businesses and households, weakening sentiment.
全球同行也在精简员工。汇丰控股（HSBC Holdings Plc）正考虑裁减多达10%的员工，这将影响约2万个职位，而渣打集团（Standard Chartered Plc）计划在未来四年内削减约8000个支持岗位。
Global peers are also trimming headcount. HSBC Holdings Plc is considering reducing up to 10% of its workforce, which would impact around 20,000 roles, while Standard Chartered Plc plans to eliminate around 8,000 support jobs over the next four years.