Amazon looks to add 75K employees, offers $100 vaccination bonuses for new hires

Amazon announced Thursday that it is looking to hire 75,000 more employees across the U.S. and Canada.

The e-commerce giant also said it will offer a $100 bonus to new hires who show proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

“We look forward to hiring 75,000 associates across our fulfillment and transportation network,” said Alicia Boler Davis, vice president of global customer fulfillment at Amazon.

The new positions will have an average starting pay of $17 an hour, the company said in a blog post.

Amazon last month increased pay for a half-million workers, with wages rising between 50 cents and $3 an hour.

Amazon has ramped up hiring during the pandemic to keep up with demand. The company added 500,000 workers in 2020 and now has about 1.3 million employees worldwide.

At the same time, Amazon has also come under criticism from workers who are pushing for improved working conditions, higher wages and better protection from the coronavirus. More than 19,000 Amazon workers had contracted COVID-19 as of October.

The company recently beat back a unionization drive at its Bessemer, Ala., facility, but a challenge to those results is ongoing.