Amazon hiring 75,000 workers in US and Canada

Amazon has announced that it is hiring 75,000 workers in its fulfillment and logistics network across the US and Canada, less than a year after its last major North America hiring spree. The new roles will for the most part be permanent, with average starting pay of US$17 per hour—up from US$15 per hour during its last mass hiring, following the introduction of wage increases in April. In addition, workers in some locations will receive sign-on bonuses of up to US$1,000.

The e-commerce giant is also offering a US$100 cash bonus to new hires who have already been vaccinated against COVID-19. This follows its rollout of on-site vaccinations in March this year, introduced after massive outbreaks among its front-line staff led to the closure of at least one warehouse and a wave of complaints about its handling of the pandemic.

Amazon now employs over a million workers worldwide, at least half of these—excluding seasonal staff—hired over 2020 and 2021 as demands for its services skyrocketed during lockdowns in multiple countries. Most of the jobs it has added are frontline positions, concentrated in its warehousing, transport, and delivery operations, although it has also added thousands of customer service jobs and a considerable number of corporate and technology roles.