Amazon hiring thousands of workers in Illinois ahead of holiday season
CHICAGO - Amazon is joining the growing list of major companies looking to increase its workforce ahead of the holiday season in order to meet the unprecedented surge in demand.
The shopping behemoth, in particular, is looking to fill 150,000 seasonal, full-time and part-time jobs across the nation, including 3,500 in Illinois, according to Amazon. The openings will fill a range of roles within Amazon’s operations network, from picking and packing to shipping and delivery, Amazon said in a statement.
To incentivize applicants, the company said that all of its jobs, even seasonal positions, have an average starting pay of more than $19 per hour "based on position and location."
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States with the most seasonal positions available include California, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington.
John Felton, Amazon senior vice president of global delivery services, said new hires will also have the opportunity to transition into a more permanent position in the company.
FILE - A security guard check in an Amazon truck at the Amazon regional distribution center on June 6, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)
"Approximately 40% of seasonal employees stay on to further their careers by becoming a regular full-time Amazon employee," Felton said. "Job advancement and career building are an important focus for us as well, and this year alone, more than 20,000 entry-level employees have received promotions."
Amazon also touted its comprehensive benefits package for regular full-time employees, which includes health, vision, and dental insurance as well as a 401(k) with 50% company match, up to 20 week's paid leave, with 14 weeks of pregnancy-related disability leave and six weeks of parental leave.