Amazon announced Tuesday that it will hire more than 300,000 people for seasonal, part-time, and full-time roles across its U.S. core operations network this holiday season, while also expanding healthcare access and other benefits for seasonal workers beginning January 1, 2027.
The company said the openings span fulfillment centers, delivery stations, and other facilities nationwide. New postings will appear weekly from October through December at amazon.com/localjobs, where applicants can also sign up for local job alerts. Seasonal roles, the company said, offer flexible schedules and an average wage of $20 an hour, along with the chance for some workers to move into permanent positions.
Full-time core operations employees will start at a minimum of $20 an hour, with average hourly pay across the workforce approaching $24. When the value of benefits is included, average total compensation exceeds $32 an hour, according to the announcement. Amazon said the pay figures follow more than $1.5 billion in higher wages already committed to its U.S. core operations workforce.
Beginning January 1, 2027, seasonal employees who work at least 30 hours a week will gain access to healthcare coverage. Those hired before that date will become eligible on January 1; those hired on or after will have coverage from their first day. Plan options start at $5 a week with $5 copays. Amazon noted that it has offered day-one healthcare to regular full-time employees for several years and is now extending the same approach to qualifying seasonal roles, which it fills year-round.
“The holidays are my favorite time of year at Amazon,” the company wrote in the announcement. “There’s an energy across our operations network that’s hard to match as our teams come together to deliver for customers during our busiest season. One of the best parts is welcoming so many new teammates into Amazon.”
Additional benefits highlighted for eligible employees include an uncapped 10% discount on eligible groceries and everyday essentials on Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market online, plus an uncapped 20% discount in Whole Foods Market stores that can be combined with existing Prime savings. A new Day 1 Financial program, rolling out in late 2026 and becoming more widely available in 2027, will give qualified employees, spouses, and children lifetime access to low-cost banking through First Tech Federal Credit Union.
Other existing offerings for eligible workers include a free Prime membership, prepaid tuition through Career Choice of up to $5,250 a year, a 401(k) with company match, paid parental leave, and 24/7 mental health support through Resources for Living. Amazon directed readers to hiring.amazon.com for further details on benefits.
The company framed the seasonal hiring and benefit changes as part of an ongoing investment in its workforce, noting that some seasonal employees later become trainers, managers, and leaders. It pointed to Career Choice as a resource for gaining skills, degrees, or certificates that can support careers at Amazon or elsewhere.
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union responded the same day. Stuart Appelbaum, the union’s president, called the announcement “nothing but a transparent attempt to gloss over the harsh realities on the warehouse floor.”
“PR headlines about temporary benefits don’t lower the extreme injury rates that plague these facilities every peak season, nor do they replace the basic human dignity of fair workloads and safe working conditions,” Appelbaum said. “If Amazon truly respected these 300,000 workers, it would stop using high turnover as an economic strategy, abandon its aggressive anti-union tactics, and allow every employee to exercise their legally protected right to organize freely without fear of surveillance or intimidation.”
In a separate statement issued as holiday shopping ramps up, Appelbaum addressed conditions across the broader retail and supply-chain workforce. He described the season as “tough on retail workers” and said many are “at a breaking point.”
“Workers across the entire supply chain are bearing the brunt of a system that pushes them past their limits,” he said.
Store employees, he added, face verbal abuse, harassment, and physical violence from customers, while warehouse workers at large fulfillment centers encounter algorithmic tracking of movements and breaks, moving productivity targets, and discipline or termination without human review. He called on employers to provide better staffing, security protocols, and limits on quotas, and to stop what he described as union-busting.
Amazon’s announcement did not directly address injury rates, turnover, productivity metrics, or union organizing. The company has previously said it invests in safety and that its pay and benefits are competitive.
Peak-season volume has historically increased staffing needs at fulfillment centers, while unions including the RWDSU have sought to organize workers at some Amazon facilities. The company has opposed unionization efforts at its U.S. warehouses.
Job seekers interested in the openings can visit amazon.com/localjobs or text NEWJOB to 31432. Amazon said roles can fill quickly and that it will continue posting new opportunities through December. The healthcare expansion for qualifying seasonal employees takes effect January 1, 2027, regardless of when an individual is hired, provided the hours threshold is met.
Author: Mario Lotmore
