Amazon is boosting its minimum wage for all U.S. workers to $15 per hour starting next month.
The company announced todsay:
- The new minimum wage is effective beginning this November 1
- Workers affected include associates employed by temp agencies
- More than 250,000 Amazon employees will be included plus more than 100,000 seasonal holiday employees
“We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazo’s founder and CEO, in a statement. “We’re excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us.”
That could be good news for many of the Internet giant’s workers across North Carolina.
For example, a recent job posting for a warehouse position in Durham said starting pay was $10.50 per hour.
According to various jobs listing sites, Amazon is looking to hire some 90 people in N.C.
Amazon recently disclosed plans to build a new distribution center in Garner and is adding another warehouse in Charlotte.
The company said Tuesday the wage hike will benefit more than 350,000 workers, which includes full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal positions.
Pay for workers at Amazon can vary by location. Its starting pay is $10 an hour at a warehouse in Austin, Texas, and $13.50 an hour in Robbinsville, New Jersey. The median pay for an Amazon employee last year was $28,446, according to government filings, which includes full-time, part-time and temporary workers.
Amazon has more than 575,000 employees globally.
The company also said its public policy team will start pushing for an increase in the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
“We intend to advocate for a minimum wage increase that will have a profound impact on the lives of tens of millions of people and families across this country,” Jay Carney, senior vice president of Amazon global corporate affairs, said in a statement.
