Amazon is ramping up its hiring efforts in Canada, announcing plans to add more than 9,000 full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees to its operations network ahead of the holiday season. The positions will support the company’s customer fulfilment and delivery services as demand increases during the busiest shopping period of the year, it said.
The new hires will work in various roles, including stowing, picking, packing, sorting, and shipping orders across Amazon’s fulfilment centres, sortation hubs, and delivery stations throughout the country. The e-commerce giant is also expanding its logistics network with five new delivery stations in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, slated to open by the end of October. This expansion is part of Amazon’s strategy to enhance delivery speeds.
$100 million investment in compensation
The company’s average base hourly wage in Canada is now $22.25, a figure that has increased following a $100 million investment in employee pay. This marks a 54% rise in pay investment over the previous year. Amazon’s step-plan compensation model ensures eligible employees receive pay raises every six months for the first two years of employment, with additional increases in the third year.
“I started at Amazon as a seasonal frontline employee, and 11 years later, I am the site leader at one of Canada’s first fulfilment centres dedicated to managing extra-large products,” said Amandeep Chouhan, site leader at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Belleville, Ontario. “Thanks to the support of my leaders, what I thought would be a temporary job became the journey of a lifetime.”
New delivery stations opening
Amazon’s hiring drive coincides with the opening of delivery stations in Burnaby, Calgary, Windsor, Ottawa, and Richmond Hill. These new facilities will focus on last-mile delivery, helping Amazon meet customer demands at what it describes as “the fastest speeds ever.” According to Jasmin Begagic, Director of Amazon Logistics Canada, “The new delivery stations and exchange points bring us closer to customers while allowing us to invest in local communities and create good jobs.”
With the addition of these new stations, Amazon now operates over 65 logistics sites across Canada, spanning from Victoria, B.C., to Halifax, N.S. Looking beyond 2024, the company also plans to open two package depots in Sarnia and Cornwall by the end of 2025.
In addition to competitive pay, Amazon offers benefits such as medical, vision, and dental coverage, as well as participation in a group RRSP plan for eligible employees, it said. Amazon’s Career Choice program, which partners with more than 20 educational institutions across Canada, allows employees to pursue further education and career development.