Amazon, Target ramp up holiday hiring

Amazon and Target have released their holiday hiring plans for the season, reports the Associated Press. Amazon plans to hire 250,000 workers for the holidays and Target plans to add nearly 100,000 workers for the season.

Amazon said that it is looking to hire both full- and part-time workers at a 67% increase compared to last year, whereas Target’s staff additions remain the same as the year prior. 

Amazon also said that it is making a $1.3 billion investment to bring its average hourly pay to over $20.50 per hour (a more than 50% increase over five years) across customer fulfillment and transportation in the U.S., with some locations offering as much as $28 per hour.

In addition, Amazon has opened over 50 new fulfillment centers, delivery stations, and same-day delivery sites in the U.S. this year, resulting in hundreds or thousands of new job opportunities per site, depending on its size and location.

Deloitte has forecasted holiday retail sales to increase up to 4.6% this year. In addition, the professional services company said it expects ecommerce holiday sales to grow between 10.3% to 12.8% compared to last year’s holiday season.