Amazon to hire 250,000 workers during holiday season for third straight year

(Reuters) -Amazon said it plans to hire 250,000 workers for the holiday season across its fulfillment and transportation networks in the U.S., the same number as the last two years, as the e-commerce behemoth prepares for a surge in orders. The announcement on Monday, however, comes amid concerns that U.S. shoppers will be cautious about spending in this holiday season as they brace from the impact of President Donald Trump's tariff policies. Data firm Adobe Analytics last week projected U.S. holiday online sales to grow at a slower pace this year, but e-commerce are still expected to outshine overall sales growth. Trump's latest tariffs on Chinese imports will have limited impact on holiday sales as most of the inventory is already in the country. Amazon will hire full-time and part-time employees at $23 per hour with benefits, while seasonal workers will earn an average wage of over $19 per hour, it said. The company had last month said it is investing more than $1 billion to raise pay and lower healthcare costs for U.S. fulfillment and transportation employees. Retailers have issued mixed outlooks ahead of the holiday season, with Target and Best Buy maintaining their annual forecasts, and Walmart and Macy's raising theirs. (Reporting by Prerna Bedi in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)

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