Amazon raises minimum wage to $15 for all U.S. employees

E-commerce giant Amazon has announced that the company is increasing its minimum wage to $15 for all full-time, part-time, temporary (including those hired by agencies), and seasonal employees across the U.S.—effective November 1. The new Amazon $15 minimum wage will benefit more than 250,000 Amazon employees, as well as over 100,000 seasonal employees who will be hired at Amazon sites across the country this holiday. 

“We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon Founder and CEO. “We’re excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us.”

Amazon’s public policy team will also begin advocating for an increase in the federal minimum wage.

Commenting on the development, Amazon's Sr VP, Global Corporate Affairs,  said,  that the company will be working to gain support from Congress for an increase in the federal minimum wage. "The current rate of $7.25 was set nearly a decade ago," he said.  

The employees will get the benefit of comprehensive health care, including medical, dental, and vision coverage. The staffs will also be liable for up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave. 

The company has announced that the employees will have the career choice, which pre-pays 95% of associates’ tuition for courses in high-demand fields, whether those jobs are at Amazon or another company. 

It will also help with career skills, which trains hourly associates in critical job skills like resume writing, how to communicate effectively, and basic computer education. 

Pic Source- Amazon