(Oct 20): Amazon said on Tuesday it plans to hire more than 300,000 workers for the US holiday season, marking the first increase in recruitment for the period in three years as the online retailer prepares for a surge in orders.

Amazon, which employed 250,000 workers during the season for the past three years, said it was hiring for seasonal, part-time and full-time roles across its US core operations for the period.

US holiday sales growth is expected to accelerate 4.2% from a year earlier to more than US$1 trillion (RM4.1 trillion) this year, the National Retail Federation forecast last week.

Starting next year, seasonal employees who work at least 30 hours per week will receive healthcare benefits offered to regular full-time employees, Amazon said.

Last week, retailer Walmart expanded healthcare benefits for its workforce, as surging healthcare expenses pressure Americans who are already facing rising costs of living.

Amazon, which announced a small number of layoffs in its retail division earlier this month, said it would pay full-time employees a minimum of US$20 per hour, with average pay reaching nearly US$24, while average hourly wages for seasonal employees will be US$20.

Uploaded by Magessan Varatharaja