Amazon Plans 300,000 Seasonal Hires Amid Broader Retail Hiring Slowdown
The e-commerce giant is significantly increasing its holiday workforce while many other retailers scale back due to economic pressures.
Amazon announced Tuesday it plans to hire 300,000 seasonal workers across its U.S. operations for the upcoming holiday season, a substantial increase from the 250,000 it hired in each of the past three years. The company expects to post new job openings weekly from October through December.
Seasonal workers will earn an average of $20 per hour, with full-time operations employees starting at a minimum of $20 per hour. The average hourly pay across Amazon's core operations workforce is currently nearly $24.
This hiring surge comes as the National Retail Federation forecasts U.S. holiday sales to grow 4.2 percent from last year, reaching over $1 trillion. Amazon is anticipating a high volume of sales and packages during the festive shopping period.
In a move to make its seasonal roles more attractive, Amazon is expanding healthcare benefits. Starting January 1, 2027, seasonal employees working at least 30 hours a week will be eligible for healthcare coverage similar to that offered to regular full-time employees. These plans will begin at $5 per week with $5 copays. Seasonal employees hired before January who meet the hour requirements will also have access to this new coverage.
Amazon's aggressive hiring stands in contrast to the broader U.S. seasonal jobs market. Challenger, Gray & Christmas forecasts a 2.5 percent decrease in seasonal hiring this year, totaling around 450,000 new jobs in the fourth quarter. This would be a decline from the 461,500 seasonal jobs added in 2025 and significantly lower than the 543,100 added in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Workplace expert Andy Challenger noted that while consumer spending has remained resilient, retailers are adopting a more cautious approach to staffing. Factors such as high prices and tariffs are leading some retailers to prioritize automation, existing employees, and on-demand labor over large seasonal workforces. He also pointed to the potential impact of high energy costs on consumer spending during the holiday season.
Despite the overall trend, some retailers are still planning significant seasonal hiring. Spirit Halloween intends to hire 52,000 associates, and Michaels plans to hire over 10,000 workers. Target and Kohl's typically hire around 100,000 and 90,000 holiday workers, respectively, though they have not yet announced specific figures for this year. Amazon's announcement provides one of the largest seasonal employment opportunities available as the holiday season approaches.