Amazon announced Monday plans to hire 100,000 workers across North America as it races to keep up with an onslaught of orders.
According to a new press release, the e-commerce giant plans to hire full- and part-time associates throughout the US and Canada with a starting wage of at least $15 USD per hour with benefits, as well as a sign-on bonus up to $1,000 in select cities. This comes in addition to the openings for 33,000 corporate and technology jobs announced last week.
Within recent months, Amazon has announced its intention significantly to staff up. In August, Amazon said it planned to hire 3,500 additional workers in cities across the United States, a move that commits the tech giant to a significant expansion of office space at a time when other tech companies are embracing telecommuting indefinitely.
The Seattle company reported record profit and revenue between April and June as more people turned to it during the pandemic to buy groceries and supplies. The company already had to hire 175,000 people earlier this year to keep up with the rush of orders, and last week said it had 33,000 corporate and tech jobs it needed to fill.
This time around, Amazon said it needs the people at the 100 new warehouses, package sorting centers and other facilities it’s opening this month. Amazon has already opened 75 facilities this year, including two in Channahon, about 50 miles southwest of Chicago.
The news reflects Amazon’s constant need for labor to pick, pack, and ship products to shoppers’ doorsteps. It’s rolling out automation at its newest buildings at the same time, said Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment.
“We will continue to deploy technology where appropriate, starting from a safety perspective” and “where we can improve our overall operation,” Davis said.
