At a time when the nation’s unemployment rate is soaring, Amazon is hiring.
Major players in the pickup and delivery segment, like Amazon, are facing big changes amid the COVID-19 virus outbreak, including shifts in delivery volume as millions of people across the U.S. shelter in place and avoid going out into public to work or shop. Instead, they’re working and shopping from home, which is keeping online retailers and parcel delivery companies on the move.
“We are seeing increased online shopping and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “With this in mind, we are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so we can more quickly receive, restock and ship these products to customers.”
To help meet the surge in demand, Amazon has opened 100,000 new full- and part-time positions within their delivery network and at fulfillment centers throughout the U.S. The company’s $350 million job expansion effort will result in $2 an hour raises across the country and a starting pay of $15 an hour. The company has made the switch to video-based interviews for most of its applicants.
Amazon handles deliveries for roughly half of its online orders and leans heavily on the U.S. Postal Service and UPS to handle the rest.
Although deliveries for UPS have grown in some areas, they’re not looking to bulk up their workforce.
“It’s a mixed bag with volume up in some areas and flat in others,” said UPS spokesperson Dan McMackin.
