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Amazon wants to hire 100,000 new workers to meet coronavirus demand

Amazon wants to hire 100,000 new workers to meet coronavirus demand

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It will also increase all warehouse workers’ hourly pay by $2

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Illustration of Amazon’s wordmark in an orange and black bull’s-eye.
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Amazon is looking to hire 100,000 new warehouse and delivery workers to meet increased demands for shipments as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the company announced on Monday. It will also increase the hourly pay of workers employed in these positions by an additional $2 in the United States through April.

As more Americans stay indoors to protect themselves from the coronavirus outbreak, they’re turning to e-commerce stores like Amazon to purchase groceries and household supplies. On Friday, Amazon told customers that they could experience delays in Prime shipments and that the company was running out of stock on some highly sought-after household staples. 

“We are seeing a significant increase in demand”

“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,” Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, said in a blog post on Monday.

Many of the restrictions are growing as the virus spreads. Officials from organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have advised people to stay indoors and away from large groups of people to protect themselves from the disease. States like New York and Ohio have closed down highly trafficked businesses like bars, restaurants, and movie theaters to mitigate the threat, leaving thousands of employees out of work and a paycheck for the next few weeks.

Amazon is looking to bring those people into their warehouses, Clark said in his statement. “We want those people to know we welcome them on our teams until things return to normal and their past employer is able to bring them back.”