Amazon to add thousands of jobs; ‘hundreds’ in Ariz.
Full-time posts among positions in distribution, customer service
Online-retail giant Amazon .com said it will hire more than 7,000 workers in 21 cities and towns across the nation, with Arizona playing a large role in the expansion program.
About 5,000 of the jobs are full-time positions in Amazon’s distribution centers. These positions provide health insurance and other benefits. The company also is seeking to fill 2,000 customer-service posts, including more than 600 work-at-home jobs for Arizona residents.
Amazon, which employed more than 88,000 people full time at the end of 2012, didn’t disclose the exact number of Arizona jobs. The company is based in Seattle.
But spokeswoman Kelly Cheeseman said the company is seeking to add “hundreds and hundreds” of permanent workers at its facilities in west Phoenix and Goodyear. The work involves selecting, packing and shipping customer orders of books and other products from the warehouses.
Basic qualifications include being at least 18, having a high-school diploma or equivalent and English proficiency, plus the ability to operate machinery, stand for ex- tended periods and perform some lifting. More details can be viewed at workatamazon fulfillment.com, which listed pay for the Phoenix/Goodyear fulfillment-associate positions at $12 an hour.
“In general, we’re looking for people who have a real customer focus with a great attitude who want to have fun while working hard,” Cheeseman said.
Benefits for the full-time positions include health insur-
ance, a 401(k) plan, higher-education tuition payments and company stock awards in addition to the 401(k) program.
The 600 new part- and fulltime work-at-home jobs in Arizona likely will attract some stay-at-home moms and wounded veterans, Cheeseman said. Individuals in these posts will answer questions and resolve concerns from customers.
“You’ve seen and heard those ads on the Internet, in the paper and on the radio promising great work-from-home jobs, but you’ve wondered if they’re too good to be true,” reads Amazon’s online job description at amazon.com/ csjobs. “Well, this one is good, it’s true and we think you’ll really enjoy it!”
The positions pay $10 an hour, with the part-time jobs typically involving 20 to 29 hours per week, scaling up to 30 to 40 hours during Amazon’s peak season.
“You can work from home in your pajamas (Really, we don’t mind!) solving customer issues via phone, e-mail and chat,” the online job description continues.
“All you need to get started is talent and customer obsession, a home computer with highspeed internet, an analog phone line and a dedicated, distraction-free home workspace.”
Amazon’s customer-contact center is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. “Some level of schedule flexibility is required and expected, as available shifts include days, afternoons and evenings, typically one or both weekend days, and occasional overtime,” according to the job description.
Amazon said median pay in its fulfillment centers is 30 percent higher than at traditional retail stores, excluding the Amazon stock grants that full-time employees receive.
Amazon employs more than 20,000 full-time workers in its U.S. fulfillment centers.