MIDDLETOWN – With the COVID-19 pandemic driving more consumers online for their shopping, Amazon is stocking up on more workers nationwide, including about 450 in Delaware, to handle the influx of sales.
The 450 jobs at Amazon’s Middletown fulfillment center will be added to the more than 2,500 employees in Delaware, according to Rachael Lighty, a company spokeswoman. The company has added hundreds of workers this year to contend with ballooning sales from homebound customers.
All of the new positions are full-time with a minimum wage of $15.25 an hour and a $500 sign-on bonus, Lighty said. They also come with comprehensive benefits, including health, vision and dental, a 401(k) with 50% company match, paid parental leave benefits, and access to Amazon’s Career Choice continuing education program – all starting on day one of employment
With nearly 40,000 Delaware workers receiving unemployment benefits as of last month, Amazon will likely have a large pool to draw from for hires. If fulfilled, the new push will bring Amazon to about 3,000 workers in Delaware, with 1,000 more workers anticipated to work at the five-story fulfillment center being built at the former GM Boxwood plant in Newport. It is expected to open next summer.
The recent Delaware openings are just a fraction of the 100,000 that the company will be hiring around the country though.
“We are opening 100 buildings this month alone across new fulfillment and sortation centers, delivery stations, and air hubs,” said Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations at Amazon, in a statement. “We are proud to be hiring 100,000 new associates with pay of $15 per hour or more across those buildings and in our network. Our expansion also comes with an unwavering commitment to safety. Collectively, our new team members have already completed more than 1,200,000 hours of safety training, with over 500,000 more hours expected, to ensure that in addition to fast and efficient delivery for our customers, we’re providing a safe and modern environment for our employees and partners.”
Interested candidates can learn more, sign up for text alerts and apply at amazon.com/apply.
By Jacob Owens
