Amazon to Hire 100,000 More Seasonal Workers this Holiday Season

Amazon.com has announced plans to hire 100,000 additional seasonal workers for the holiday season, surpassing last year's numbers and defying concerns of a slowdown in holiday hiring.

Meeting Holiday Demand Surge

In preparation for the surge in holiday demand, Amazon (ticker: AMZN) will be recruiting a total of 250,000 employees across its supply chain. These roles will encompass full-time, part-time, and seasonal placements.

Building on Last Year's Hiring Success

During the previous holiday season, Amazon hired 150,000 employees, matching the number hired in 2021.

Investing in Employee Compensation

To further support its workforce, Amazon is allocating $1.3 billion towards pay raises for customer fulfillment and transportation employees. This investment will raise the average pay for these roles to over $20.50 per hour, with some locations offering up to $28 per hour.

Insights into Labor Market Health

Announcements regarding holiday hirings by retailers serve as indicators of labor market health heading into the year-end period. Analysts closely monitor these announcements to gauge industry performance.

A Different Scenario for Retail Competitors

While Amazon is increasing its seasonal workforce, other retailers are taking different approaches. Target (TGT) plans to hire the same number of seasonal workers as last year—100,000—while Macy's (M) has reduced its temporary hires from 41,000 to 38,000.

Exciting Deals Await

Apart from staffing increases, many companies have revealed their holiday deals. Target and Best Buy (BBY) will kick off their promotions on October 1, followed by Walmart's (WMT) "Holiday Kickoff" event on October 9. Furthermore, Amazon's highly anticipated Prime Day Sale Event is scheduled for October 10 and 11.