- Amazon is planning to hire 100,000 new warehouse and delivery workers in order to meet the increased demands for shipments due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak
Amazon is planning to hire 100,000 new warehouse and delivery workers in order to meet the increased demands for shipments due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. To make the hires, Amazon will be investing $350 million globally and increase the pay by $2 per hour in the U.S., C$2 in Canada, £2/hr in the UK, and approximately €2/hr in many EU countries.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Amazon and our network of partners are helping communities around the world in a way that very few can—delivering critical supplies directly to the doorsteps of people who need them. Getting a priority item to your doorstep is vital as communities practice social-distancing, particularly for the elderly and others with underlying health issues. We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year,” said Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations Dave Clark. “We also know many people have been economically impacted as jobs in areas like hospitality, restaurants, and travel are lost or furloughed as part of this crisis. We want those people to know we welcome them on our teams until things return to normal and their past employer is able to bring them back.”
Last week, Amazon said that some orders may see delays since many items are running out of stock as there has been a significant increase in demand.
Amazon also pointed out that health and safety is also a top priority with all of its roles and sites. The company is continuing to consult with medical and health experts along with taking all recommended precautions in its buildings and stores to keep people healthy. And Amazon took measures to promote social distancing in the workplace and took on enhanced and frequent cleaning.
The pay increase commitment will occur through the end of April.
