Amazon to Hire 100,000 Veterans by 2024
Amazon is aiming to hire about 84,000 veterans and 16,000 military spouses by 2024.
The company currently employs more than 40,000 veterans and military spouses, surpassing its 2016 Joining Forces pledge to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses by 2021. Amazon currently has more than 35,000 positions open in the United States. All successful applicants receive a starting wage of at least $15 per hour and have access to comprehensive benefits, according to the company.
“Amazon is focused on recruiting and developing military talent with training programs specifically designed to help veterans transition into roles in the private sector,” said John Quintas, the company’s director of global military affairs. “We value the unique skills and experience that the military community brings — and our new hiring commitment will expand the impact that military members currently have on every single business across the company.”
Amazon's pledge to hire more vets comes as many retailers and other businesses experience severe challenges in hiring employees amid a national labor crunch.
Eric Eversole, VP oft the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Chamber of Commerce, praised Amazon’s goal. Eversole leads Hiring Our Heroes, a program of the U.S Chamber of Commerce Foundation focused on helping veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses find meaningful employment in communities across the country.
“Amazon recognizes the diverse backgrounds and experiences veterans and military spouses bring and how they strengthen the workforce,” Eversole said. “Through their commitment to provide upskilling and employment opportunities in high-demand careers, Amazon is equalizing opportunity for veterans and military spouses.”
Upskilling opportunities
Amazon offers a variety of programs to assist transitioning service members and military spouses in finding rewarding careers. This includes access to company-funded skills training in such high-demand areas as as cloud computing through initiatives such as the Amazon Technical Apprenticeship Program and AWS re/Start.
Military members working at Amazon can also take advantage of the company’s free upskilling opportunities so they can gain new technical skills and move into in-demand, higher-paying jobs. These programs include Career Choice, Amazon’s pre-paid tuition program for fulfillment center employees looking to move into high-demand occupations, and Amazon Technical Academy, a paid nine-month training course that equips nontechnical Amazon employees with the essential skills to transition into — and thrive in — software engineering careers.
In addition to skills training, veterans and military spouses working at Amazon have access to fellowships, mentorships, military spouse support and deployment benefits. They also have the Warriors@Amazon affinity group, a community with more than 10,000 former service members, spouses and allies across the company.
All Amazon jobs pay a starting wage of at least $15 an hour — more than twice the federal minimum wage — and all regular full-time employees enjoy health insurance from an employee’s first day on the job, a 401(k) plan with a company match, up to 20 weeks of paid leave for birthing parents, access to subsidized skills training opportunities, and more.
Amazon is No. 2 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
