Amazon has unveiled plans to hire 2,50,000 transportation and warehouse employees for the upcoming holiday season, maintaining last year’s staffing levels despite increasing demand. The hiring will support operations in sort centers, fulfillment centers and delivery stations, as online sales are projected to outpace overall holiday spending in the final quarter of 2024.
Sandy Gordon, Amazon's vice president of Global Operations Employee Experience, explained, “Even with the anticipated rise in demand and volume, we believe that 250,000 is the right figure to support and advance our operations." However, the exact distribution of these positions remains unspecified. Notably, this hiring wave excludes transportation workers employed by delivery service partners.
Holiday shoppers are expected to spend a record-breaking $240.8 billion online this season, reflecting a 4.9 per cent increase over 2023. Meanwhile, overall holiday spending is projected to grow by 3.2 per cent, according to forecasts from Mastercard.
While Amazon’s hiring numbers are flat compared to last year, they still exceed those of competitors like Target, which aims to bring in 100,000 seasonal employees. Amazon continues to dominate workforce expansion in preparation for the peak shopping period, despite the unchanged figures.
The broader U.S. retail sector anticipates adding approximately 5,20,000 jobs this holiday season, down from 5,64,200 positions in 2023. This trend reflects a shift in hiring strategies amidst evolving economic conditions.
Amazon’s announcement coincides with developments involving the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which recently classified the company as a “joint employer” for drivers of contractor Battle Tested Strategies (BTS). This classification follows unionisation efforts by BTS drivers under the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Amazon has disputed claims of retaliatory actions, stating that the Teamsters have “misrepresented the facts.”
