The coronavirus has been sinking many sectors of the economy, but the delivery business is booming.
In an internal memo obtained by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, Amazon announced that it would be hiring 100,000 new workers to fill openings for delivery drivers and warehouse employees. Additionally, the company plans to raise hourly pay by $2 for some workers as it fills the vacant positions.
While the company plans to hire 100,000 in the United States alone, wage increases and additional hires are being made by the company throughout Europe as well.
In the memo, Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of operations, wrote, “We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year.”
Amazon announced on Wednesday that it had expanded its sick leave policies for all workers, even part-time employees. The company also set up a $25 million fund to assist in sick leave for delivery drivers outside of the company and ordered many of its corporate employees in New York and New Jersey to work remotely.
Many states and cities have enacted limits on the number of people who can gather in one place, including closures for schools and restaurants. Some cities have implemented carryout-only requirements for restaurants, leaving an increased demand for delivery options.
