Amazon Inc (AMZN.O) will provide $100 more to new hires with proof of COVID-19 vaccination. The company who is the world’s largest e-commerce retailer smade a statement on Thursday. It is a part of Amazon’s plan to employ 75,000 workers for fulfillment and logistics operations.
As vaccines become vital for reopening of the economy, several U.S. retailers are providing benefits to vaccinated staffs. Retailers like Dollar General (DG.N), Kroger (KR.N) and Target (TGT.N), are awarding bonuses or other perks to staff getting their shots.
Demand for hourly staff at various factories, restaurants, retail stores and fulfillment centers is growing as e-commerce demand remains robust. On the other hand more consumers are supposed to step out of their homes after a year of living in lockdown.
The vaccine-related incentives are also directed at attracting workers flush with relief checks and wary of the pandemic as well as the lack of childcare facilities back to work.
Amazon will pay the new hires an average starting salary of more than $17 per hour. The new pay reflectis recent hikes of between 50 cents and $3 an hour for about half a million fulfillment-center workers in the United States.
The company will also pay a sign-on bonus amounting to $1,000.
The e-retailer has profited from a surge in e-commerce sales as more consumers moved online last year. This has led Amazon to hire thousands and offer attractive perks and bonuses.
