Amazon is Hiring 100,000 More Workers to Do This During the Coronavirus

Cities around the U.S. and the world are going on lock down to help put a stop to the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

E-commerce giant Amazon announced plans on Monday to hire 100,000 more warehouse and delivery workers to be able to handle the surge in online orders that have been placed amid the outbreak.

With many people urged to stay inside and people going into self quarantine, ordering online has been the most convenient solution to getting things they need.

Amazon has also decided to raise pay for warehouse and delivery workers by $2 per hour in the U.S through the end of April. It will also raise the wage by £2 per hour in the UK, and approximately €2 per hour in many EU countries. The company currently pays $15 per hour or more in some areas of the U.S. for warehouse and delivery jobs.

Amazon said over the weekend that some brands in the “household staples” category were out of stock and that some of its “delivery promises are longer than usual.” The company has added the following to items on its website:
“Inventory and delivery may be temporarily unavailable due to increased demand. Confirm availability at checkout.”

Amazon has also launched a $25 million relief fund called the “Amazon Relief Fund” that will allow these employees to apply for grants that are equal to or up to two weeks of pay if they’re diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

As of Monday, there are now over 181,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus globally, and at least 7,113 deaths. There were at least 4,281 confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. and at least 74 deaths.

Disclaimer: We have no position in Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) and have not been compensated for this article.