Tis the season for helping to fill out Amazon orders, the tech giant based in online retail announced this week. It’s hiring for more than 300,000 new jobs in the U.S. over the holidays.
“Amazon offers industry-leading benefits based on role and tenure, and starting January 1, 2027, eligible seasonal employees will have access to healthcare coverage from their first day on the job,” wrote J. Ofori Agboka, vice president for people experience and technology at Amazon, in a Tuesday blog post. Some of the new jobs will be seasonal, some will be part time and some will be full time, he said.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Tuesday showed that the national unemployment rate has changed little over the year at 4.2%. Data released Wednesday by the bureau shows that median weekly earnings are 1.5% higher than a year earlier, as prices for items measured on the Consumer Price Index have surpassed this increase with a jump of 3.5% this year.
Amazon – the second largest employer in the world, according to Ars Technica – has made holiday hiring announcements in the past, but 300,000 is quite a big number. When Audacy covered Amazon’s 2022 holiday season hiring announcement, there were only 150,000 new positions and those new employees were to make $19 per hour.
Yet, in recent years, the company has also made headlines for plans to automate some of its business. Around this time last year, there was a report from The New York Times that said that Amazon planned to automate 75% of its operations. This June, Audacy reported on the latest generation of Amazon’s Proteus robot and in August we reported on its plans to expand its drone delivery service.
In his blog post, Agboka positioned Amazon’s human workers as the core of its business.
“Seasonal roles give people the opportunity to earn, work flexible schedules, and be part of the team during our busiest time of year,” he said of the new job opportunities. “For some, it’s a job for the season. For others, it becomes the start of a longer career at Amazon.”
Positions are available in retail (face-to-face with customers), warehouses, airport warehouses, Amazon Locker+ operations, Amazon Customer service, as DSP delivery drivers and as Amazon flex driver. Agboka said those hired will get $20 per hour, as well as healthcare benefits that start their first day on the job (starting Jan. 1 of next year). Other benefits for Amazon employees in the U.S. include discounts on Amazon.com and at Whole Foods Market, access to Day 1 Financial banking and more.
To find out how to get one of these positions, visit the Amazon jobs page here.
