Amazon will hire 150,000 workers for full-time, part-time and seasonal positions in its operations network as the holiday season approaches.
The positions are open to applicants “from all backgrounds and experience levels,” offering average wages of more than $19 per hour depending on position and geography, according to an Thursday (Oct. 6) Amazon blog post.
The jobs include stowing, picking, packing, shipping and delivering customer orders in communities throughout the United States, the post stated.
The news comes as retailers have begun offering holiday deals weeks ahead of the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, Black Friday.
Read more: Amazon Gets Jump on Holiday Shopping With October Prime Days
Walmart earlier this week said its “Rollbacks and More” savings event would begin Monday (Oct. 10) at 5 a.m. Easter time, with deals running through Thursday (Oct. 13).
See more: Walmart Joins Other Retailers in Early Holiday Sales
That announcement makes the company the latest retail giant promoting holiday deals and a super sales event around the time frame of the former Columbus Day shopping tradition. Amazon announced a two-day holiday sale exclusive to Prime members Tuesday (Oct. 11) through Wednesday (Oct. 12) while Target’s deal days are running this week.
As PYMNTS noted earlier this week, this is all part of a decades-old phenomenon known in retail circles as the “Christmas creep” (i.e., holiday shopping and sales beginning earlier and earlier every year).
Read more: Earliest Holiday Shopping Events Pit ‘Christmas Creep’ Against ‘Sales Fatigue
But while major retailers like Amazon and Target have embraced this concept, it’s not yet clear whether consumers share their enthusiasm, given the state of the world and the economy. Consumers just may not be in a festive and spend-happy mood.
According to PYMNTS research, 70% of consumers have moved away from discretionary purchases and toward essentials.
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