Walmart cuts 7,000 office jobs

US retail chain Walmart is to cut 7,000 office jobs as it moves to automate more of its processes, although workers are expected to be offered other customer-based roles.

Employees working in accounting and invoicing areas are likely to be the most affected by the cuts. Walmart has piloted schemes such as automated cash-counting technology, and expects that to be implemented in stores in the near future.

Walmart is the largest employer in the United States, with over 1.5m staff, and has recently announced its intention to increase the number of employee workign with customers.

"We've seen some pretty strong success on the pilot and have decided to roll it out across all of our US stores," Walmart spokesperson Deisha Galberth said.

"This is about simplifying how stores work, there are a number of initiatives that are designed to get more associates in front of our customers," she added.

Under pressure from trade unions earlier in the year, Walmart increased its minimum wage to $10 per hour.

Despite the displaced employees being offered alternative jobs, it remains unclear whether they will be offered the same conditions with regards to hours and salaries.