Amazon hiring 3,000 for its Garner fulfillment center, twice the number first announced

E-commerce giant Amazon said Tuesday that it is beginning to fill jobs at its massive, under-construction fulfillment center in Garner and expects to hire more than 3,000 people — more than double the number expected.

When Amazon announced it would build the facility in 2018, the company said it would employ 1,500 people.

But since the coronavirus pandemic has changed the spending habits of millions of Americans, Amazon has pumped up its staffing levels to keep pace with the increased reliance on online shopping. Amazon has moved to hire more than 100,000 additional workers during the pandemic, The News & Observer previously reported.

Amazon dominates e-commerce, making up 39% of all online orders in the U.S., according to eMarketer, which tracks online retail. Many Americans have turned to the company for household goods as they attempt to stock up on items and avoid going out in public.

Amazon fulfillment centers — and the Whole Foods grocery store chain that it owns — have faced the brunt of that demand. But it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the company, with hundreds of employees contracting COVID-19.

Amazon will pay workers in Garner at least $15 per hour, a rate that is more than double the state’s minimum wage.

Workers will also have access to Amazon’s Career Choice Program, which partners with local colleges and universities to offer training opportunities for associates to gain new skills to either further their career at Amazon or help them find work somewhere else.

Amazon has more than 5,000 workers across North Carolina, which means the Garner facility will make up more than half of the company’s presence in the state.

The company will also become the largest private employer in Garner. The facility is built on land that was once home to Garner’s previous largest employer, a ConAgra Slim Jim plant that exploded in 2009, leading to the loss of hundreds of jobs.

The Amazon plant is expected to open before the 2020 holiday season.

This story was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. Learn more; go to bit.ly/newsinnovate

This story was originally published July 21, 2020 at 12:04 PM with the headline "Amazon hiring 3,000 for its Garner fulfillment center, twice the number first announced."