Dive Brief:
- Amid strong union pressure, Amazon is hiring 150,000 employees across the U.S. in full-time, part-time and seasonal positions within its operations network, the company announced on Thursday. This is the same amount the company planned to hire ahead of the holiday season last year.
- The company is paying more than $19 per hour on average, depending on the position and location, in addition to providing benefits such as up to 20 weeks paid parental leave for full-time employees, a 50% company match on 401Ks and healthcare coverage. Amazon is hiring the most in Illinois, Michigan, Idaho, California, Iowa, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.
- Amazon is looking for employees to fulfill stowing, picking, packing, sorting, shipping and other roles within its operations network. The company is offering between $1,000 and $3,000 sign-on bonuses in select areas.
Dive Insight:
Along with other major retailers, Amazon is stepping up its hiring to meet holiday demand. Walmart, Target, Macy’s and Kohl’s, among others, have also announced plans to hire many thousands of workers ahead of the holidays.
“We’re proud to offer a wide variety of roles for people of all backgrounds, with more than 150,000 roles available across the country. Whether someone is looking for some extra money for a few months or a long-term career, the holidays are a great time for people to join Amazon, and many of our seasonal employees return year after year or transition into full-time roles,” John Felton, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, said in a statement. “Those who choose to stay with us will find a lot of opportunities to grow their careers, whether they take advantage of our free college tuition programs or seek out promotions across our network—this year alone, more than 20,000 front-line employees received promotions.”
But as the company plans to onboard hundreds of thousands of employees within its operations network, Amazon is simultaneously slowing down corporate-level hires. The New York Times reported that the e-commerce giant paused corporate hiring in its retail division until early 2023. The news comes as Amazon’s retail sales have dipped, and some industry experts predict that Prime membership enrollment could flatten.
Meanwhile, Amazon is increasing its wages for front-line workers as its workforce continues to unionize. In early September, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced the formation of an Amazon division, which aims to unionize Amazon workers and win better workplace protections for them. Later that month, the e-commerce giant said it would spend nearly $1 billion on pay increases for front-line workers, pushing up wages for customer fulfillment and transportation employees from $18 per hour to more than $19.
For years, Amazon has been the subject of scrutiny regarding workplace conditions in warehouses and its fulfillment network. Just this summer, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating the deaths of Amazon workers in New Jersey around the time of Amazon’s Prime Day sales event.
