DALLAS — That Amazon ramp-up on jobs means thousands for Texas, and many are coming to the Dallas area.
The massive online retailer is hiring 100,000 folks – with about 3,300 for North Texas, a spokesperson said. For all of the Lone Star State, about 5,900 are slated.
The surge in hiring comes amid growing demand for home-delivered products as more people stay home to work or study amid concerns about the coronavirus. Amazon isn’t just hiring more people, but is increasing pay as well, boosting hourly wages by $2 an hour from $15 or more through April, depending on the region.
“We are opening 100,000 new full and part-time positions across the U.S. in our fulfillment centers and delivery network to meet the surge in demand from people relying on Amazon’s service during this stressful time, particularly those most vulnerable to being out in public,” Dave Clark, senior vice president of Worldwide Operations, said in a blog post on the company’s site.
Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) has been expanding its staff and adding to its facilities in the Dallas area as the region grows and uses its growing array of options. Earlier this month, it said North Texas was among the first to get even quicker same-day deliveries that used a more efficient approach that’s creating hundreds of jobs.
In September, the company drew more than 4,400 candidates to a “Career Day” effort in Dallas, one of six cities to hold the event looking to fill more than 30,000 open spots across the nation, according to Amazon.
Last month, the Dallas Business Journal reported the online retailer has been looking for what could be new construction covering up to 300,000 square feet or as low as 150,000 square feet in Dallas.
Deliveries are surging across the country amid the changes with social interactions. Instacart, Walmart Grocery and Shipt have experienced record download days for their mobile apps, according to Apptopia, which provides data around smartphone applications.
Clark said Amazon is getting more interest as it sees “a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year.”
At Amazon, the boost in pay represents an investment of over $350 million for hourly employees across the U.S., Europe and Canada.
“Getting a priority item to your doorstep is vital as communities practice social-distancing, particularly for the elderly and others with underlying health issues,” Clark said in the blog.
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