Amazon will hire more than 300,000 workers across its US operations this holiday season, increasing recruitment for the first time in three years as the retailer prepares for a surge in customer orders and expands healthcare benefits for eligible seasonal staff.

The recruitment target represents a 20 per cent increase on last year’s 250,000 seasonal workers and is the company’s largest holiday hiring plan on record, according to GeekWire. The roles will span seasonal, part-time and full-time positions across its fulfilment and delivery network.

Amazon said on 20 October that seasonal employees working at least 30 hours per week will become eligible for healthcare coverage from their first day, starting on 1 January 2027. Healthcare plans will start at $5 a week, with $5 co-payments, and workers hired before that date who remain in qualifying roles will gain access when the changes take effect.

The change comes as Amazon seeks to retain workers beyond the peak holiday period. Previously, seasonal employees had to wait 90 days for healthcare coverage, potentially leaving those hired for the Christmas rush ineligible before their contracts ended, GeekWire reported.

J. Ofori Agboka, Amazon’s vice president of people experience and technology, said the company was hiring across its core operations network nationwide. He added that the healthcare expansion was intended to make coverage more affordable and accessible for employees and their families.

Seasonal employees will earn an average of $20 an hour, while full-time operations staff receive a minimum starting wage of $20 an hour, with average hourly pay reaching nearly $24, Amazon said. The company added that average total compensation for full-time operations employees exceeds $32 an hour when benefits are included.

Amazon’s hiring expansion follows a series of corporate workforce reductions. The company has cut approximately 30,000 corporate jobs since October 2025, including 16,000 announced in January, while continuing to recruit for its customer-facing operations.

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