Coronavirus: Amazon to hire 75,000 more people to handle contagion-driven demand

Unions have accused company of not keeping workers safe

Amazon has announced 75,000 new jobs amid soaring demand created by the coronavirus pandemic.

Having last month said it needed to hire 100,000 people to handle the spike in online shopping, it said on Monday those positions had been filled and that it required an additional 75,000 workers.

“Today, we are proud to announce that our original 100,000 jobs pledge is filled and those new employees are working at sites across the US helping to serve customers,” the company said in a corporate blog post.

“We continue to see increased demand as our teams support their communities, and are going to continue to hire, creating an additional 75,000 jobs to help serve customers during this unprecedented time.”

It added: “We 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 and we welcome anyone out of work to join us at Amazon until things return to normal and their past employer is able to bring them back.”

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The Seattle-based giant has seen an explosion in demand, with most shops closed because of the virus, and others preferring to order online rather than risk becoming infected by going to the groceries or supermarkets.

Unions have called for the firm to close some of the operations, after workers tested positive for the disease at some warehouse locations.

The company’s founder, Jeff Bezos, has also been criticised after he announced he was donating $100m to help support food banks. Critics said that given his wealth is estimated to be $124bn he could give much more.

The company said: “We’ll continue to invest in safety, pay, and benefits for our teams who are playing an invaluable role in getting items to communities around the world.”