Amazon plans to hire more than 300,000 people for its U.S. operations network this holiday season, even as a separate forecast points to the smallest fourth-quarter retail job gain since 2008.
Amazon announced the plan Oct. 20. It targeted 250,000 holiday hires in 2025, making this year’s announced target more than 20% higher. The new positions span seasonal, part-time and full-time roles in the company’s core operations network.
Seasonal workers will earn an average of $20 an hour, Amazon said. Employees who remain on staff in January and work at least 30 hours a week will qualify for health coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Eligible workers hired before that date receive coverage then; later hires receive it when they start. Amazon said health plans will start at $5 a week, with $5 copays.
Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. forecasts about 450,000 retail-sector jobs added in the fourth quarter, down from 461,500 actual additions in the same period of 2025. The outplacement firm said the 2025 gain was already the smallest since 2008. Its 2026 forecast points lower still.
The figures measure different things. Amazon’s number is a company hiring plan covering its operations network. Challenger estimates the change in employment across the retail sector and examines transportation and warehousing separately.
Challenger said retailers’ reliance on existing staff, on-demand workers and automation is shaping its forecast. Other companies have announced hiring targets: DICK’S Sporting Goods and Foot Locker plan more than 11,000 seasonal hires across eight retail banners.
Amazon expects to add job listings weekly through December. Fourth-quarter retail employment figures will show whether Challenger’s forecast is borne out.
