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Amazon Now Has More Than 341,000 Employees -- Added 110,000 People Last Year (geekwire.com)

Posted by msmash on from the further-expansion dept.

Amazon added more than 110,000 employees during the past year, topping 341,000 people as of the end of 2016 thanks largely to a significant increase in the Seattle-based tech giant's network of fulfillment centers around the world and further expansion of its businesses in several overseas new markets. From a report: Amazon employed just 32,000 people globally five years ago. Amazon's net growth of more than 110,000 people during the past year almost rivals Microsoft's total employment of 120,000 people as of Dec. 31. That comparison of Microsoft and Amazon isn't apples-to-apples given the differences in their businesses, but it gives a sense of the scope of Amazon's employment base. Amazon employs about 40,000 people in Washington state, compared to 45,000 for Microsoft. Amazon doesn't show any signs of slowing down. The company said previously that it plans to add another 100,000 full-time jobs in the U.S. over the next 18 months.

3 of 114 comments (clear)

  1. Re:So that's bad, right? by rmdingler · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Unfortunately, these jobs pay about like Walmart employee.

    Jobs are good, but these trends in employment resonate on target with those who say we are the first generation in a long time who will not leave a better life for our children.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

  2. Labor intensive jobs by sjbe · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Jobs are good, but these trends in employment resonate on target with those who say we are the first generation in a long time who will not leave a better life for our children.

    Well that's what Trump wants. He wants to "bring back manufacturing jobs" to the US. Never mind that the factory jobs that left the US did so because of high labor rates and the only way to get them back and keep them is to pay people competitive wages... for China. So if you're good with paying people $2/hour then we can bring back all kinds of jobs. But they won't be ones with good wages. The ones with good wages aren't for slapping together happy meal toys.

    Now if you want high paying jobs then you have to invest in education, research, infrastructure, etc and train people to do jobs that are worth more than unskilled assembly work will ever justify.

    1. Re:Labor intensive jobs by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Never mind that the factory jobs that left the US did so because of high labor rates and the only way to get them back and keep them is to pay people competitive wages... for China.

      Manufacturing jobs are returning to the US because labor is getting too expensive in China, as Chinese workers want a middle class lifestyle. But the new factories in the US require fewer workers and those workers must possess a college degree, eliminating the vast majority of Trump voters who are eagerly waiting for the 1980's manufacturing jobs to return.

      https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/30/education/edlife/factory-workers-college-degree-apprenticeships.html