Topline
Amazon and Target will add on a combined 350,000 employees for the upcoming holiday shopping season, according to announcements by both companies on Tuesday, while Amazon said it will invest more than $1 billion to increase average hourly wages.
Amazon announced the seasonal hires in addition to wage increases for delivery workers.
Key Facts
Amazon will hire 250,000 people for full-time, part-time and seasonal fulfillment center and transportation roles, according to an announcement, while increasing the average pay for those positions up to $28 per hour.
Target said in a statement that it would add 100,000 seasonal team members for its “busiest season of the year.”
Amazon hired an estimated 150,000 workers last year, and previously pledged to hire 200,000 seasonal employees in 2019, according to Bloomberg, while Target pledged to hire 100,000 employees last year and in 2021.
The new Amazon positions will pay hourly rates between $17 and $28 per hour depending on location, the company said, with some new hires eligible for bonuses ranging between $1,000 and $3,000.
Macy’s also announced it would hire more than 38,000 full- and part-time seasonal positions at Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury stores and its distribution centers, after committing to adding 41,000 positions the previous year.
Big Number
$1.3 billion. That’s how much Amazon said it would invest to increase the hourly wage for customer fulfillment and transportation employees, with roles averaging wages of $20.50 per hour.
Surprising Fact
A hiring wave for Amazon follows a string of layoffs at the company earlier this year that cut 27,000 employees, or about 9% of its workforce.
Key Background
Amazon opened 50 new fulfillment centers, delivery stations and same-day delivery sites across the U.S. this year, the company said. Retailers tend to add tens of thousands of seasonal workers for the holiday season amid an expected surge in sales, though seasonal hiring is expected to fall to its lowest total since 2008 due to rising costs, according to Reuters. Target—which announced it would begin offering holiday discounts in October—reported a total revenue of $31.4 billion through its fourth quarter last year, nearly $5 billion more than the company earned the previous quarter.
Further Reading
Amazon To Hire 250,000 Logistics Workers For Holidays, Boost Hourly Wages (Bloomberg)
