Amazon Hiring 100,000 For Coronavirus Delivery Expansion, Investing $350M

The Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic is driving a massive expansion by Amazon right when the economy needs it the most: $350 million of investment, higher wages, and more people in fulfillment and delivery roles.

Why?

Social distancing.

“Amazon and our network of partners are helping communities around the world in a way that very few can—delivering critical supplies directly to the doorsteps of people who need them,” Amazon senior vice president for worldwide operations Dave Clark wrote today on a company blog post. “Getting a priority item to your doorstep is vital as communities practice social-distancing, particularly for the elderly and others with underlying health issues.”

With empty shelves on stores globally, increased congestion Costco and other big box stores, it’s hard for people to get regular groceries and supplies, never mind laying in a few provisions for a potential Italy-style quarantine. Seniors in particular can find it hard to shop in the line-ups and business, especially since they are most vulnerable to Coronavirus, or COVID-19.

That means delivery is an ever-more-urgent need. But Amazon Prime, the company’s fastest delivery option, has been hit with delays as the online ordering gets more and more popular.

Customers are seeing a lack of order windows or deliverability availability. Walmart’s delivery services have seen similar challenges.

We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year.

So Amazon is ramping up:

• $350 million investment across the U.S., Canada, and Europe
• 100,000 new part-time and full-time roles in the U.S. alone
• salary increases: $2/hour on current salaries of $15/hour or more

This could be a godsend to people who have been laid off from restaurant, service, or retail jobs as closures have affected hourly workers and those who cannot work remotely.

“We also know many people have been economically impacted as jobs in areas like hospitality, restaurants, and travel are lost or furloughed as part of this crisis,” Clark wrote. “We want those people to know we welcome them on our teams until things return to normal and their past employer is able to bring them back.”

This is good news for people who need provisions, and those who need jobs.

Retail shops hit hard by social distancing, however, will find it another challenge from Amazon, their alpha competitor. The question will be if they’ll be able to recover their lost customers — and former employees — when things return to normal.

Or rather, if things return to normal.