Amazon announces 4,000 new UK jobs

Amazon is creating more than 4,000 new permanent jobs across the UK this year, the online giant has announced.

The company said the recruitment drive would bring its permanent workforce to 75,000, having created 40,000 new jobs in the past three years.

Amazon said it had invested £1 billion across the UK and was set to be one of the 10 largest private sector employers in the country.

The new roles are spread across the UK and include new fulfilment centres set to open in Wakefield and Knowsley.

Amazon employs people in all parts of the UK, including in many communities identified as needing further investment in the Government’s “levelling up” agenda, such as Bolton, Swansea and Gateshead.

It is also creating new jobs at its Fresh Stores using “Just Walk Out” technology with 19 now open across the UK, including the first outside London in Sevenoaks, Kent.

The jobs announced today include roles in corporate and technology functions in Amazon and Amazon Web Services (AWS), including software development, product management, and engineering; as well as jobs in the operations teams in fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery stations. In addition to Amazon’s permanent employees, the company previously announced the creation of 1,500 new apprenticeships in 2022, across 40 different schemes.

Amazon also said it was focused on bringing people back to the workforce after unemployment and providing first jobs. In the first half of 2022, 56% of new hires in the operations division joined Amazon from previous unemployment or directly from education.

“We’re continuing to invest in talent right across the UK, from apprentices in Swansea to data scientists in Edinburgh,” Amazon UK country manager John Boumphrey said.

“People join us not just for the wide variety of roles, great pay and benefits, but for the career development opportunities we provide.

“Applicants recognise we are an employer that offers great development potential, and we are proud to have so many employees growing and taking the opportunity to learn new skills that will create paths to new jobs at Amazon and beyond.”