Amazon hiring 100,000 workers for holiday season

Amazon is on another hiring spree. The company has announced they will be adding an additional 100,000 seasonal employees for the holiday season. In addition, Amazon has promoted 35,000 operations employees.

Amazon has a set minimum wage for 15 dollars for all employees, regardless of what state they are in. With 12 million Americans out of work according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these seasonal roles could be a benefit to Americans seeking employment.

“At Amazon, we believe in providing our employees with great jobs and better futures. We’re proud to see our employees grow through promotions to the next level at Amazon and also through programs like Career Choice, which help them pursue careers in high demand fields,” said Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment, in a statement. “These 35,000 newly-promoted Amazonians came from a variety of backgrounds, and many started in seasonal jobs like we’re announcing today. They have made a big impact for our customers and contributed to a positive and safe work environment, and we’re thrilled to congratulate them on their next step.”

Amazon’s Career Choice program is one of the company’s biggest investments designed to help up skill people who are interested in pursuing a future in a high-demand field. With more than half of participants from underrepresented minority groups, the program offers courses covering 20 different career paths, including computer support specialist, web developer, nurse, aircraft mechanic, commercial trucker, paralegal/legal assistant, IT security assistant, and network technician, among others. Amazon has partnered with more than 85 education partners and community colleges in the U.S. and continues to grow its educator network.

This is the second time this year Amazon has announced a massive round of new hires. In September, Amazon announced it was hiring another 100,000 workers as part of its fourth hiring spree this year. At this rate, could Amazon be on track to outpace Walmart as the nation’s largest employer?

photo: courtesy of Amazon Press Room