Amazon has confirmed plans to hire a quarter of a million new seasonal workers in the United States alone over the 2023 holiday season, as it begins ramping up operations ahead of Christmas.
At the same time, the e-commerce giant proclaimed that the average wage for customer processing and transportation employees in the United States now stands at $20.50 an hour, an increase of more than 50% in the last five years.
However, many new and existing workers will continue to cling to the fact that the company mercilessly shook off 27,000 workers due to pandemic-related overhiring – a raw memory that lingers in the minds of many .
Amazon is recruiting for Christmas
John Felton, Senior Vice President of Global Operations, said: “The holiday season is always a special time at Amazon and we are excited to hire an additional 250,000 people this year to help serve customers across the country. »
The company also said in a Press release that it has invested more than $10 billion in hourly wages over the past five years, with other improvements to worker benefits, including a number of day one benefits.
Amazon says its average hourly wage for customer satisfaction and transportation now stands at $20.50, with some workers receiving as much as $28 an hour. The lowest salary for this type of role is currently $17 per hour. Other signing bonuses between $1,000 and $3,000 are also available in some regions.
Amazon noted that starting today, employees in this sector would likely see their pay increase by 13% – or more – over the next three years.
The company typically experiences a surge in operations during the holiday season. Add to that the company’s decision to expand its reach to e-commerce businesses operating through their own websites and it’s clear that its employees may have a lot of work to do in the coming months.