Amazon (AMZN) is going on another hiring spree. The company announced on Thursday that it is looking to bring on 75,000 additional employees across its fulfillment and transportation segments.
Amazon has been seeking huge numbers of employees to fill out positions at its warehouses throughout the pandemic, adding more than 400,000 workers due to increased demand from consumers, and bringing its total number of employees to more than 1 million.
The latest hiring frenzy will provide workers with an average starting salary of $17 per hour and a $1,000 sign-on bonus depending on the location. The company is also providing an extra $100 to new employees who come in fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Despite its massive hiring initiatives over the past two years, Amazon is still just the nation’s second largest private employer behind Walmart, which has well over 2 million employees on its payroll.
'A better vision for how we create value for employees'
Amazon has also faced a number of complaints over the years due to its treatment of workers in its fulfillment centers, the massive warehouses where employees package goods to be shipped out to customers.
Workers have complained of untenable conditions and requirements that force them to stay on their feet for hours and box items at an incredible pace. Drivers in particular have said they’ve needed to skip their own bathroom breaks to deliver packages on time, finding themselves having to urinate into plastic bottles.
In April, Amazon defeated a large-scale unionization drive at one of its fulfillment centers. Workers there were seeking to join the The Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, or RWDSU, but fell far short of the necessary votes with 1,798 votes cast against the union and 738 were cast in its favor.
The RWDSU says it will appeal the vote over alleged interference by Amazon.
The retail giant, meanwhile, has pushed back against claims that it mistreats employees, pointing to its $15-per-hour starting salary and available health benefits.
In his final shareholder letter as CEO, however, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos acknowledged the union vote, writing that the company needed to do more for its employees.
Bezos rote in the April letter. “While the voting results were lopsided and our direct relationship with employees is strong, it’s clear to me that we need a better vision for how we create value for employees — a vision for their success,”
Openings for the Amazon positions are available across a number of states, though the largest number of available spots are in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, and Wisconsin.
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