Amazon plans to hire 300,000 U.S. workers for holiday season

The Big Picture

Amazon said it plans to hire 300,000 seasonal, part-time and full-time workers across the United States for the 2026 holiday season, a hiring push the company said is 20% larger than its hiring during the same period last year.

The announcement comes as the National Retail Federation forecasts that U.S. holiday retail sales will exceed $1 trillion for the first time this year. Amazon did not provide further detail in the available announcement about the locations or specific types of roles that will make up the planned hiring total.

What Happened

Amazon announced the plan on Oct. 20. The company said it will post job listings weekly from October through December, giving applicants multiple opportunities to seek holiday-related work as the shopping season progresses.

The planned hires include workers in seasonal, part-time and full-time positions, according to Amazon. The company said seasonal workers will earn an average of $20 per hour.

Amazon's 300,000-worker target represents a substantial expansion from its hiring during the comparable period a year earlier, based on the company's stated 20% increase. The company did not provide the prior year's hiring figure in the source material.

Why It Matters

The holiday season is a critical period for retailers and the logistics networks that support online orders. The National Retail Federation's forecast of more than $1 trillion in U.S. holiday retail sales points to a potentially large seasonal demand for workers handling retail, fulfillment and related operations.

Amazon's plan also highlights the role temporary and flexible work can play during periods of heightened consumer demand. For job seekers, the company said roles will span seasonal, part-time and full-time employment, while listings will continue to be added weekly through December.

The projected retail-sales milestone is a forecast from the National Retail Federation, not an estimate of Amazon's sales or a measure of how many of the retailer's planned positions will be filled.

Background

In September, Amazon announced it was raising the minimum starting wage for full-time workers to $20 an hour. The company said average pay for its full-time staff is roughly $24 per hour.

Amazon said seasonal workers earn an average of $20 an hour. Beginning in 2027, seasonal employees who work at least 30 hours per week will become eligible for the same health care benefits provided to full-time workers, according to the company.

Those benefit changes are scheduled to take effect after the 2026 holiday hiring season. Amazon's announcement did not specify how many of this year's planned hires may meet the future eligibility threshold or remain with the company into 2027.

What Happens Next

Amazon said job postings will be released weekly from October through December. Applicants interested in the holiday hiring effort will need to monitor the company's listings as additional positions become available.

The scale of the hiring plan and the retail industry's sales forecast will be tested over the remainder of the holiday shopping period. Amazon has said its effort is intended to add workers across the country, but the available announcement does not provide a regional breakdown or a timetable for filling all 300,000 positions.