Amazon Is Hiring 500K Workers In Illinois And 13 Other States

Amazon is gearing itself up for Prime Day coming up next month, which has turned into one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Priority number one is hiring a lot of people.

As you look around, I'm sure you've seen a high number of help wanted signs around the Rockford area. The pandemic shackles are starting to come off, and businesses that survived the COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantines need people, and they need them now.

It seems as though Amazon realizes that the labor market will be tightening up considerably over the next few months as we work to get life back to pre-pandemic normalcy. According to the Amazon website, the jobs for delivery drivers and warehouse workers pay at least $15 per hour, and many new hires will be looking at an average of $17 per hour.

If this were a late-night TV infomercial, this would be the part where I would shout "But wait, there's more!"

ABC News points out that if you're a new hire, and you've had your COVID-19 vaccination(s), you're looking at a $100 bonus, and Amazon said it will offer a $1,000 sign-on bonus to new hires in many parts of the country.

Many of the job openings are in 14 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin. Last year alone, Amazon hired 500,000 people to keep up with a surge of orders during the pandemic as more people stayed home and shopped online.

If you're interested in a change of career, or you're just looking to get back into the job market, click here for more information on how to apply for jobs with Amazon.