LONDON – US e-commerce giant Amazon announced today that it will create more than 10,000 new jobs in Britain, a day after a US hiring spree as online shopping booms during the pandemic.
The expansion, equivalent to one fifth of its UK workforce, will take its total staff in the country to more than 55,000 by the end of this year.
The announcement came one day after Amazon revealed plans to add 75,000 jobs in the United States and Canada.
“We’re creating thousands of good jobs across the UK from a diverse range of roles with excellent pay and benefits,” said Amazon’s UK country manager John Boumphrey in the statement.
In the announcement to boost its workforce in the US and Canada, Amazon said yesterday that the decision was part of a further ramping up of the e-commerce giant’s massive warehouse and logistics network.
The tech giant, which already has more than 800,000 US employees, said it would offer “an average starting pay of over US$17 (RM70.13) per hour,” along with health and retirement benefits and bonuses of up to US$1,000 and US$100 extra for those vaccinated for Covid-19.
“We look forward to hiring 75,000 associates across our fulfillment and transportation network,” said Alicia Boler Davis, vice-president of global customer fulfillment at Amazon.
The news comes after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said last month the company needs a better “vision” for its workers, despite having prevailed in a bruising battle over unionisation at one of its warehouses.
Bezos, who is giving up his job of chief executive but will remain chairman of Amazon, said his goal is to make the company “earth’s best employer and earth’s safest place to work.”
Amazon’s announcement said it has already begun hiring at various sites including in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington state and Wisconsin. – AFP, May 14, 2021
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