Coronavirus
Amazon will hire thousands to meet coronavirus demand amid surge in NC layoffs
With thousands of North Carolinians preparing to file for unemployment as businesses and restaurants shut down because of the outbreak of coronavirus, Amazon plans to hire thousands of workers in the state.
The company said this week it plans to hire 100,000 full- and part-time positions across the U.S. — an increase meant to handle a surge in online orders as COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, disrupts retail across the country.
Volumes have been so high at Amazon that the company has warned of longer than usual delivery times and has sold out of some popular items.
Amazon dominates e-commerce, making up 39% of all online orders in the U.S., according to eMarketer, which tracks online retail. Many Americans have turned to the company for household goods as they attempt to stock up on items and avoid going out in public.
“We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year,” Amazon executive Dave Clark wrote in a post on the company’s website.
In North Carolina, Amazon expects to add 2,000 new jobs across the state, including more than 540 in the Triangle, a spokeswoman for the company told The News & Observer. The new jobs will be at the company’s many fulfillment centers and in its delivery network.
It is also planning to boost its minimum wage for employees, from $15 to $17 per hour, through April. Amazon said the increase in pay represents a $350 million investment.
The company is specifically targeting recently furloughed or laid off workers to join Amazon’s ranks — at least until their old jobs are ready to take them back.
“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.”
Just between noon Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday, 4,721 people filed for unemployment due to COVID-19 in North Carolina, The N&O reported. That’s a number that is expected to rise, potentially into the hundreds of thousands, if closures go on for months.
Amazon has multiple fulfillment centers across the state, including in Durham, Charlotte and outside of Greensboro. The company is building a 2-million-square-foot fulfillment center in Garner, seven miles southeast of downtown Raleigh, though it is not completed yet. When it opens, Amazon plans to hire 1,500 employees there.
The company has quickly become one of the largest employers in the U.S., with more than 750,000 total employees as of 2019.
Coronavirus precautions
Amazon also said it is taking extra precautions when it comes preventing the spread of coronavirus among its workers.
A spokeswoman said the company is consulting medical and health experts and taking measures to promote social distancing in the workplace. It’s also doing more frequent cleaning of its workspace.
All Amazon employees who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine because of exposure to the coronavirus will receive up to two weeks of pay, the company said. Two weeks is generally the length of a precautionary quarantine.
Through the end of March, hourly employees can also take unlimited time off from work, though it would be without pay.
For its contractor workers, who mainly work in delivery, and seasonal employees, Amazon is starting a relief fund for workers who experience financial distress because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The fund, which has an initial contribution of $25 million, will offer grants that equal up to two weeks of pay to those diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed in a quarantine by the government or Amazon.
The fund will also provide grants, ranging from $400 to $5,000 per person, to those who face hardship from other events, like natural disasters, federally declared emergencies or unforeseen personal hardships, the company said.
This story was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. Learn more; go to bit.ly/newsinnovate
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