Amazon.com Inc said on Monday it plans to hire 75,000 more people for jobs ranging from warehouse staff to delivery drivers as coronavirus epidemic kept Americans locked in their homes.
Amazon’s hiring spree, which is being mirrored by other firms in the food and retail sectors, comes despite the U.S economy shedding some 17 million jobs over the past month.
In a blog post on Monday, the retail giant said: “Today, we are proud to announce that our original 100,000 jobs pledge is filled and those new employees are working at sites across the US helping to serve customers,”
“We continue to see increased demand as our teams support their communities, and are going to continue to hire, creating an additional 75,000 jobs to help serve customers during this unprecedented time.”
Amazon said it would welcome people furloughed during the crisis on a temporary basis until they can get their old jobs back.
As it faces unprecedented demand due to lockdowns across the country, Amazon has also faced protests at its warehouses and stores where workers face risks due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
Last month, Walmart’s also announced it would to add 150,000 workers and delivery service Instacart’s seeking 300,000 contract workers.