Amazon is hiring 150,000 workers in the U.S. as the holiday shopping season approaches

Amazon announced on Monday, Oct. 18, that it would be hiring additional 150,000 workers in the United States. The new recruits will be part of the company’s seasonal workforce which means they will be temporarily employed throughout the holiday season this year.

Amazon’s plan to hire thousands of employees was made as it is preparing for the shopping season, where the demand for orders could be extremely high compared to regular days. The hiring will be for stores and company’s facilities in the U.S.

Moreover, Reuters noted that the e-commerce giant’s job recruitment plan comes at the height of a major labor shortage that is currently gripping the country. There is also an increase in activities from union labor groups across the country that has pushed companies to raise the wages of workers. The pay hikes also served as a way for the firms to attract more people to apply for various job positions.

In fact, just last month, Amazon was one of the firms to announce an increase for its starting pay, and the rates have now reached up to more than $18 per hour. For seasonal jobs, the company is offering sign-on bonuses of up to $3,000, and depending on shift hours, an additional $3 per hour was offered.

The perks are offered in Amazon facilities in California, Florida, Colorado, Arizona, Georgia, and Illinois, where the number of seasonal jobs is higher. In 2020, the company recruited applicants for 100,000 seasonal jobs amid the pandemic.

“We are proud to be offering a huge range of full-time, part-time, and now seasonal jobs with great pay and benefits,” Amazon’s senior vice president of global customer fulfillment, Alicia Boler Davis, said in a press release. “Our seasonal hiring helps us deliver on our promises to customers while also providing flexibility to our full-time employees during busy periods.”

Davis went on to state, “Joining Amazon in one of our seasonal roles offers high-paying, part-time work, or a path to a full-time position, with benefits like our Career Choice program to help people advance their education and careers within Amazon or beyond.”