Amazon plans to hire 300K+ US workers for seasonal, part-time, and full-time roles for the upcoming holiday season, up 20% from 2025, paying $20/hour on average

Average hourly pay for Amazon holiday workers increases to $20.

Amazon announced plans to hire over 300,000 US workers for the upcoming holiday season, a 20% increase from its 2025 hiring goals. The company aims to fill seasonal, part-time, and full-time roles, with average hourly pay starting at $20. To attract these workers, Amazon is introducing new benefits for eligible employees, including healthcare coverage starting January 1, 2027, for seasonal workers who average at least 30 hours per week. Additionally, a new program called "Day 1 Financial" will offer banking services through First Tech Federal Credit Union to qualified workers and their families, with the potential for lifelong membership. Job postings for these positions will be released weekly from October through December.

Amazon's expanded hiring and enhanced benefits package signals a competitive labor market for the holiday season, potentially pressuring other retailers to improve their own offerings. The inclusion of healthcare and banking services as key recruitment tools indicates a shift towards providing more comprehensive benefits to temporary and part-time workers. This strategy could set a new precedent for how companies attract and retain frontline staff during peak demand periods.

This move by Amazon suggests a strategic effort to mitigate the impacts of increased automation by supplementing with a larger, more incentivized human workforce. By offering benefits usually reserved for full-time employees, Amazon aims to reduce turnover and attract a higher caliber of temporary staff. Companies that fail to match these incentives may face difficulties in securing adequate seasonal labor, impacting their ability to meet consumer demand.