Amazon to create 7,000 new jobs in UK as sales soar

Amazon will create 7,000 new permanent jobs in the UK over the coming months to deal with the rise in sales brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown.

The retailer said it had already recruited an additional 3,000 permanent staff this year and would hire 20,000 temporary workers for Christmas.

According to Amazon, the jobs will be spread across more than 50 sites, including corporate offices and two new fulfilment centres launching in the North East and in the Midlands.

The new jobs will increase the Amazon workforce in the UK to a total of over 40,000 by the end of the year, up from around 30,000 that were hired at the start of 2020.

Business Secretary, Alok Sharma, said: “While this has been a challenging time for many businesses, it is hugely encouraging to see Amazon creating 10,000 jobs in the UK this year.

“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. 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.”

Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown said that the announcement comes as no surprise due to the increase in popularity ecommerces have experienced throughout the year.

"Despite spending billions of dollars gearing itself up to operate through the coronavirus crisis, Amazon still delivered a huge increase in profits during the second quarter. The company doesn’t anticipate orders slowing in the coming months, saying the new jobs, which include engineers, graduates, HR and IT professionals, will help it meet growing customer demand," she added.

"With expansion planned right across the UK, high street retailers are going to have to deliver some dramatic changes if they’re to compete with the king of e-commerce," concluded Streeter.