Amazon announced on October 20 that it plans to hire 300,000 seasonal, part-time, and full-time workers across the U.S. for the holiday season, marking a 20% increase from last year. The company’s seasonal hiring push is the first increase in three years, with previous years seeing around 250,000 hires during the same period.
The new roles will be posted weekly from October through December, with applications available at amazon.com/localjobs or via text message to 31432 for local job alerts. Amazon also confirmed that seasonal employees working at least 30 hours per week will receive the same healthcare benefits as full-time staff, effective January 1, 2027. Those hired before January 1 will gain access to coverage on that date, while new hires on or after January 1 will receive benefits from their first day.
Average pay for seasonal workers is $20 per hour, while full-time staff earn an average of $24 per hour. Amazon raised its minimum starting wage for full-time workers to $20 per hour in September. The company did not specify whether the healthcare expansion applies retroactively to previous seasonal hires.
The announcement follows projections from the National Retail Federation, which forecasts holiday retail sales to exceed $1 trillion for the first time this year. Industry analysts note that while some large employers are reducing seasonal postings, Amazon’s hiring surge reflects broader optimism in the retail sector. Cory Stahle, an economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, reported that as of September 30, seasonal job postings were up 10% compared to 2019 levels, though some competitors are shifting toward more part-time roles.
Amazon’s seasonal hiring strategy includes roles across logistics, customer service, and warehouse operations. The company has not disclosed a breakdown of full-time versus part-time positions in the 300,000 openings.