Amazon hiring thousands in Ohio to serve demand

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to spread, Amazon is launching a massive hiring effort to ensure products, including critical supplies, are delivered.

To meet the surge in demand from people relying on the company’s service during this stressful time, particularly those most vulnerable to being out in public, Amazon is hiring for 100,000 new full- and parttime jobs in its fulfillment centers and delivery network nationwide, according to Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations.

Approximately 4,600 of those jobs will be created in Ohio, according to an Amazon spokesman.

It’s not immediately clear how many of those positions would be available at the company’s fulfillment center in Monroe, which opened in 2019 with 750 jobs.

Clark said the company knows many people have been economically impacted as jobs in areas like hospitality, restaurants, and travel are lost or furloughed as part of the crisis.

“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,” he said.

In addition to the 100,000 new roles we’re creating, we want to recognize our employees who are playing an essential role for people at a time when many of the services that might normally be there to support them are closed.

In the United States, the company will be adding an additional $2 per hour worked through April from its current rate of $15 an hour or more, depending on the region.

“This commit ment to increased pay through the end of April represents an investment of over $350 million in increased compensation for hourly employees across the U.S., Europe and Canada,” Clark said.

Health and safety are a top priority with all of Amazon’s roles and sites, he said.

“We continue to consult with medical and health experts, and take all recommended precautions in our buildings and stores to keep people healthy,” Clark said. “We’ve taken measures to promote social distancing in the workplace and taken on enhanced and frequent cleaning, to name just a few.

For more information on applying for a job, visit www. amazon.com/jobsnow.