ST. LOUIS — As many businesses saw declines in production and business due to COVID-19 restrictions, Amazon has been hiring.
On March 16, Amazon announced it would be hiring 100,000 new employees as the online retailer saw an increase in demand for products and goods delivered right to the doorstep.
In the two weeks since then, Amazon has hired 80,000 across the country, including 1,000 people in Missouri.
Amazon said the new hires are picking, packing and shipping customer orders as demand increases. They are paid $17 an hour. Full-time and some part-time employees get company benefits on the first day.
"Many were impacted by layoffs related to COVID-19 and come from a variety of fields and life situations, including restaurant cooks, bartenders and servers, flight attendants, teachers, business owners, personal trainers, valet drivers, rideshare drivers, retirees, part-time workers whose jobs are now on hold and people 'who just wanted to help out'," a press release said.
But it hasn't been all good news for Amazon. Some employees staged walkouts and attempted to strike due to working conditions, and employees at multiple warehouses have tested positive for COVID-19.
If you are looking for work, other businesses in the area, including grocery stores, are hiring as their demand increases during the coronavirus pandemic.
