Amazon Plans Big Fulfillment Hiring Push
Amazon plans to hire 100,000 fulfillment and logistics workers, both for full- and part-time roles in the U.S. and Canada.
The move comes as Amazon opens 100 delivery, sortation and other fulfillment facilities in September — and follows the retailer’s announcement that it is adding some 33,000 corporate and technology jobs. Amazon has already opened more than 75 new fulfillment, sortation centers, regional air hubs, and delivery stations in the U.S. and Canada in so far this year.
The hiring news provides yet more evidence about the ongoing expansion of Amazon’s logistical powers, a push that has recently included new delivery vehicles and the leasing of an additional 12 Boeing 767-300 aircraft ahead of next year’s opening of the Amazon Air Hub near Cincinnati.
Rivals continue to play catch up as best they can with Amazon, including on drone deliveries, for which Amazon recently won needed U.S. government approval for continued work. On Tuesday, for instance — less than one week after it launched a pilot with end-to-end drone delivery company Flytrex — Walmart said it would team with Zipline to launch on-demand deliveries of select health-and-wellness products, with the potential to expand to general merchandise.
The new Amazon jobs will pay at least $15 an hour, in line with a plan previously set out by CEO Jeff Bezos, and offer $1,000 hiring bonuses in some cases. The hiring also comes as the holiday shopping season approaches and promises to increase the already hectic pace of Amazon warehouse work.
“Our expansion also comes with an unwavering commitment to safety,” said Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations at Amazon, a position to which he was recently promoted. “Collectively, our new team members have already completed more than 1,200,000 hours of safety training, with over 500,000 more hours expected, to ensure that in addition to fast and efficient delivery for our customers, we’re providing a safe and modern environment for our employees and partners.”
Amazon said the following states will have the most hiring activity:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Utah
- Washington
- Wisconsin
As of the end of the second quarter, Amazon employed 630,600 people in the United States.
“We’ve created over 175,000 new jobs since March and are in the process of bringing 125,000 of these employees into regular, full-time positions,” Bezos said in late July when Amazon released its second quarter financials. The company in Q2 also invested investing more $9 billion in capital projects, including fulfillment, transportation, and Amazon Web Services.
Seattle-based Amazon is No. 2 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, while Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods is No. 24 on PG's list.
