The Newsroom
Economy·October 20, 2026 at 8:45 AM EDT·6 sources

Amazon to Hire Over 300,000 in Holiday Season, Up 20% From 2025

AMZN -1.0%
AMZN · last 30 trading days-5.5% since the news
News
Amazon employees as of June 30about 1.6 million
Holiday hiresmore than 300,000

What happened

  • Amazon plans to hire more than 300,000 U.S. seasonal, part-time and full-time workers, up 20% from last year and a record target.
  • Seasonal employees working at least 30 hours weekly will qualify for healthcare from day one starting Jan. 1.
  • Amazon’s hiring expansion contrasts with weaker retail employment plans and UPS’s plan to hire more than 100,000 seasonal workers, about 9% fewer.
Holiday hires
more than 300,000
Year-over-year increase
20%
Seasonal average hourly pay
$20 an hour
Amazon employees as of June 30
about 1.6 million

Why it matters

The hiring plan offers a signal on Amazon’s fulfillment capacity and holiday demand while highlighting divergent labor trends across retail and logistics. It also matters for workforce-cost and benefits analysis.

What to watch. Amazon reports third-quarter results Oct. 29.

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Timeline

  1. EarlierOct 19
    Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: SpaceX, Nvidia, Apple, CoreWeave, Amazon, Meta, Eli Lilly & more
  2. First reported by BloombergOct 20
    Amazon to Hire Over 300,000 in Holiday Season, Up 20% From 2025
  3. Business Insider reportsOct 20
    Amazon aims to add 300,000 seasonal workers — and expands health benefits in the new year
  4. The Wall Street Journal reportsOct 20
    Amazon to Hire More Than 300,000 U.S. Workers for Holiday Season
  5. GeekWire reportsOct 20
    Amazon plans record 300k holiday hires as the rest of retail pulls back
  6. Techmeme reportsOct 20
    Amazon plans to hire 300K+ US workers for seasonal, part-time, and full-time roles for the upcoming holiday season, up 20% from 2025, paying $20/hour on average (Spencer Soper/Bloomberg)
  7. Retail Dive reportsOct 21
    Amazon eyes 300K holiday hires

Who is involved

Amazon to Hire Over 300,000 in Holiday Season, Up 20% From 2025Amazon.com Inc.AMZNUPSAndy Jassy
CompanyPerson

Sources (6)

  1. BloombergOct 20
    Amazon to Hire Over 300,000 in Holiday Season, Up 20% From 2025
  2. Business InsiderOct 20
    Amazon aims to add 300,000 seasonal workers — and expands health benefits in the new year
  3. The Wall Street JournalOct 20
    Amazon to Hire More Than 300,000 U.S. Workers for Holiday Season
  4. GeekWireOct 20
    Amazon plans record 300k holiday hires as the rest of retail pulls back
  5. TechmemeOct 20
    Amazon plans to hire 300K+ US workers for seasonal, part-time, and full-time roles for the upcoming holiday season, up 20% from 2025, paying $20/hour on average (Spencer Soper/Bloomberg)
  6. Retail DiveOct 21
    Amazon eyes 300K holiday hires

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