Amazon to hire over 300,000 people for the holiday season

Amazon announced that it will bring on board more than 300,000 new employees to support its holiday season operations. The Seattle-based company stated that temporary workers will earn an average hourly wage of $20, while offering various fringe benefits to encourage seasonal personnel to stay on permanently.

In a blog post published by Amazon, it was stated that the hiring covers full-time, part-time, and seasonal positions. The company aims to retain personnel throughout the year by providing health insurance opportunities to seasonal workers who will continue to work past January and work at least 30 hours a week.

According to data from employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, total seasonal employment in the retail sector is expected to drop to its lowest level since 2008. This figure, which was around 450,000 last year, is projected to remain lower this year due to the cautious stance of major retailers like Walmart and Target. Employment in the logistics and warehousing sector is estimated to remain at levels similar to the previous year.