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Amazon.com Inc unveiled a new hiring spree on Monday ahead of a visit by US President Barack Obama to one of the internet retailer's giant distribution warehouses this week.
Amazon said it is looking to fill more than 5,000 new full-time jobs at 17 of its fulfilment centres across the US. That's roughly a 25 per cent increase in full-time fulfilment centre staff, which currently number more than 20,000 in the country.
Amazon has been building lots of new fulfilment centres closer to customers in recent years as the company tries to speed up delivery of online orders and reduce shipping costs.
Amazon needs a lot of workers to pick, pack and ship orders alongside high tech robots that whiz around its warehouses. The company's demand for employees is so strong that it has created special programs to woo candidates.
Amazon made its latest hiring push as Obama is due to visit a company fulfilment centre in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Tuesday to speak about jobs in the US. The US President will discuss proposals to jumpstart private sector job growth and make America more competitive, according to a White House spokeswoman.
