NEW YORK (Reuters): Multinational tech-company Amazon has announced to hire 75,000 more people for various jobs as demands surge for online orders amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Amazon has reported virus cases among warehouse staff and faced several demonstrations. However, with unemployment rates hitting record levels, Amazon is looking to fill the gap.
To draw new employees, the company had said that it would add $2 to its minimum $15 per hour to US workers’ wages through April. The company had filled all of the 100,000 positions it advertised earlier, and the new jobs are in addition to that.
Amazon said that it expects to spend more than $500 million globally to increase wages for workers during the pandemic, up from a previous estimate of $350 million.
“We welcome anyone out of work to join us at Amazon until things return to normal and their past employer is able to bring them back,” the company said. Some elected officials have criticized Amazon’s response to the outbreak, which has infected more than 1.9 million people globally.
Overall in the United States, nearly 587,155 cases were confirmed, including more than 23,664 deaths. New York State has set a single-day record of COVID-19 deaths with a number surpassing 700.
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