Amazon plans to hire more than 300,000 workers across its United States operations network for the holiday season, the company said on Tuesday — the first increase in its seasonal recruitment in three years, Reuters reported. The hiring covers seasonal, part-time and full-time roles at fulfilment centres, sortation hubs and delivery stations nationwide, with job postings rolling out weekly from October through December.

Source: Reuters

For the past three holiday seasons Amazon held seasonal hiring at 250,000. The new target adds about 50,000 positions at a time when much of the US retail sector is pulling back: outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas expects total US holiday hiring to fall below 450,000 this year, which would be the weakest seasonal recruitment since 2008, and Walmart and Target have again not published companywide hiring targets.

Source: BigGo Finance, reporting Challenger, Gray & Christmas data

300,000+workers Amazon plans to hire for the holiday season
250,000holiday hires in each of the past three years
$20average hourly pay for seasonal staff
4.2%forecast growth in US holiday sales, to more than $1 trillion

Pay, and a new health-coverage offer for seasonal staff

Amazon said full-time employees will be paid a minimum of $20 an hour, with average pay reaching nearly $24, while seasonal employees will earn $20 an hour on average, Reuters reported. Starting January 1, 2027, seasonal employees who work at least 30 hours a week will be offered the health coverage given to regular full-time employees, from their first day in a qualifying role, the company said. Amazon is also offering a new 'Day 1 Financial' benefit, giving qualified workers banking through First Tech Federal Credit Union, PYMNTS reported.

Source: PYMNTS, reporting Amazon's announcement

The National Retail Federation has forecast that US holiday sales will grow 4.2 per cent this year to more than $1 trillion (yaani: over $1,000 billion in seasonal spending). Rival delivery firm UPS said earlier this month it hopes to hire 100,000 seasonal employees, about 9 per cent below its 2025 target, PYMNTS reported. Reuters noted that Amazon announced a small number of layoffs in its retail division earlier this month, even as it expands front-line holiday staffing.

Source: Reuters

What is solid

  • Amazon announced on October 20 that it plans to hire more than 300,000 seasonal, part-time and full-time workers across its US operations network, up from 250,000 in each of the past three holiday seasons.
  • Seasonal pay averages about $20 an hour; from January 1, 2027, seasonal staff working at least 30 hours a week will be offered full-time-level health coverage.
  • The National Retail Federation forecasts US holiday sales growth of 4.2% to more than $1 trillion.

What is only claimed

  • How many of the 300,000 roles will still be open, and where, will only become clear as postings roll out weekly through December — the figure is a company target, not a count of people already hired.
  • Challenger, Gray & Christmas expects overall US holiday hiring below 450,000, the lowest since 2008; that is a forecast, not a final count.

For jobseekers — including many Punjabi and Indian families across the US whose members work in warehouses, delivery and trucking — the postings matter because Amazon is one of the largest seasonal employers in the country. The company says listings will appear weekly from October through December on its jobs channels.