Amazon on Thursday announced it will create 7,000 permanent jobs across the UK by the end of 2020, bringing its permanent workforce in the country to over 40,000. Since the beginning of this year, Amazon has already hired 3,000 permanent workers to meet increasing demand.
The new recruits will range from high-skilled professionals to warehouse workers across more than 50 sites in the UK, including corporate offices and two new fulfillment centers—Amazon’s warehouses—in Durham, a city in Northeast England, and Sutton-in-Ashfield, a town located in the East Midlands county of Nottinghamshire.
Construction of these new fulfillment centers began last year and are expected to launch later this autumn. A third new fulfillment center in Darlington, County Durham, launched in May.
The online retail giant said that it will also need 20,000 workers before Christmas to fill seasonal roles at its sites across the UK, including three pop-up fulfillment centers.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the news is “hugely encouraging” at this “challenging time for many businesses.”
“This is not only great news for those looking for a new job, but also a clear vote of confidence in the UK economy as we build back better from the pandemic,” Sharma said in a statement.
“The government remains deeply committed to supporting retailers of all sizes, and we continue to work closely with the industry as we embark on the road to economic recovery.”
Last month, the Confederation of British Industry said British retailers had cut the most jobs since the depths of the financial crisis and expected the pace of losses to accelerate.
Well-known British retailers Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Debenhams, WH Smith, and Dixons Carphone have all announced job cuts in recent weeks, reflecting the rapid shift in demand to online sales.
