A worker assembles a box for delivery at the Amazon centre in Baltimore, Maryland, the US. Picture: REUTERS/CLODAGH KILCOYNE
The e-commerce giant said starting wages for open jobs in logistics average $18 an hour, or 20% more than the $15-an-hour base pay the company set back in 2018, with signing bonuses of as much as $3,000 in some locations. Earlier in September, Amazon pledged to hire 40,000 people to fill corporate and tech roles.
In another effort to sweeten the pot and keep up with rivals, Amazon last week said it would pay college tuition for some frontline employees. Walmart in July said it would pay the costs of tuition and books for its hourly staffers. Target in August said it would offer free undergraduate degrees to more than 340,000 employees at its US stores.
“It is competitive out there, but we like that environment,” said John Felton, senior vice-president of global delivery services. “It’s critical for us to make sure we are very competitive. We think that’s the right kind of experience for employees, and allows us to attract amazing, high-quality employees.”