To prepare for the hectic holiday shopping season, Amazon plans to hire 5,100 people in the Houston area. The project is part of a larger attempt by the Seattle-based online retail behemoth to hire 250,000 people across its U.S. operations network.
The tasks range from selecting and packing to sorting and shipping orders and include full-time, seasonal, and part-time opportunities. Jobs in Houston can be found in Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery counties.
“The holiday season is always a special time at Amazon, and we’re excited to hire 250,000 additional people this year to help serve customers across the country,” Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, John Felton, said in a statement. “Whether someone is looking for a short-term way to make extra money or is hoping to take their first step toward a fulfilling and rewarding career at Amazon, there’s a role available for them.”
According to Amazon, the occupations pay an average of $20.50 to $28 per hour, depending on region. Applicants from all backgrounds and levels of experience are encouraged to apply. For more information, applicants should go to amazontours.com.
“A fulfillment or transportation employee who starts with us today will see a 13% increase in pay over the next three years — likely more, including our annual wage investments — and that’s on top of offerings like pre-paid college tuition with Career Choice and health care benefits on day one,” Felton said.
Over the last decade, Amazon has become a big employer in Houston and Texas, expanding its distribution center network to meet the boom in online purchasing. According to the corporation, Amazon has created more than 88,000 employments in Texas since 2010.
Amazon is just one of many businesses that will hire more people to help out during the holidays. Despite a worker scarcity that impeded hiring efforts last year, UPS, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Walmart, Francesca’s, Macy’s, and others hired tens of thousands of seasonal workers beginning in the fall. Per the US Commerce Department, e-commerce sales accounted for 15.4 percent of overall retail sales in the second quarter, up from 5.8 percent a decade ago.
