Amazon To Hire 100K Workers To Handle Demand Spike

Amazon Looks To Hire 100K Workers

Amazon said it is looking to add 100,000 jobs during the coronavirus scare as demand for delivery services continues to increase across the nation, according to a blog post from the company.

“Getting a priority item to your doorstep is vital as communities practice social distancing, particularly for the elderly and others with underlying health issues. We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year,” Amazon said in the post. “We are opening 100,000 new full- and part-time positions across the U.S. in our fulfillment centers and delivery network to meet the surge in demand from people relying on Amazon’s service during this stressful time, particularly those most vulnerable to being out in public.”

The company said it is adding a pay bump of $2 an hour to its current workers, up from its current rate of $15 an hour.

“This commitment to increased pay through the end of April represents an investment of over $350 million in increased compensation for hourly employees across the U.S., Europe and Canada,” the company said.

In other Amazon news, during the daily briefing from the White House, President Trump said the White House has had daily contact with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos about the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, according to a report.

“Well I’ve heard that’s true,” Trump said when asked about Bezos during the briefing. “I don’t know that for a fact. But I know that some of my people have, as I understand it, been dealing with them or with him. And that’s nice. We’ve had tremendous support from a lot of people that can help, and I believe he was one of them.”

Last week, it was reported that the White House planned to meet with large tech companies like Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Twitter regarding the epidemic and how they could help to combat it.