Yahoo Finance Amazon creates 10,000 UK jobs to meet surging demand
Amazon will create another 10,000 jobs in the UK, bringing its total workforce to 55,000 permanent staff this year as its aggressive hiring spree showed no signs of slowing down.
The online retail giant has grown rapidly during the pandemic and this week said it would recruit another 75,000 staff in North America to meet demand for home deliveries that has soared amid lockdowns and store closures.
The Seattle-headquartered company notched up UK sales of $26.5bn (£18.8bn) last year, up 51pc on 2019 as it was helped by the closure of non-essential retail across three national lockdowns.
Amazon will also invest £10m on training 5,000 employees in new skills with the company paying 95pc of any tuition fees.
John Boumphrey, Amazon’s UK manager, said: “We’re proud of the front-line roles we offer across Amazon and we also know that they will be a stepping stone for some in their career journey.”
Its new jobs will include four new fulfilment centres in Hinkley, Dartford, Gateshead and Swindon and a new parcel centre in Doncaster.
The online retailer will also create corporate roles in its offices in fashion, digital marketing, engineering, and video production.
Kwasi Kwarteng, the Business Secretary, said: “Amazon’s announcement is fantastic news and a huge vote of confidence in the British economy, helping us deliver on our commitment to level up across the UK with a whopping 10,000 new permanent jobs.”
The new roles follow on from Amazon creating thousands of jobs last year for its packing centres as well as hiring 20,000 seasonal staff.
According to its most recent UK accounts, Amazon paid £293m in taxes in Britain in 2019. The US firm has come under fire for passing on the new digital services tax, which puts a 2pc fee on online marketplace sales, to small businesses that sell on its website.
