Amazon To Hire More Than 5K In Chicago Area, Including Elgin

ELGIN, IL – Amazon has announced it plans to hire more than 5,000 people in the greater Chicago area in coming weeks as it bulks up local suburban operations with employees needed to help sort, ship and pack outgoing orders from fulfillment centers around the region. Among the centers hiring are locations in Elgin, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg and Palatine.

The hiring effort is part of a nationwide push that company officials announced, which is not part of its annual holiday hiring plan. The Seattle-based company announced Monday that it has opened 75 new facilities around the country as customers have turned to online shopping for food and other supplies during the coronavirus pandemic.

The company announced plans Monday to add more than 100,000 new employees to its workforce in anticipation of an increase in business. According to reports, Amazon has already hired 175,000 people this year and indicates it has 33,000 corporate and tech jobs that it needs to fill.

Pay starts at $15 an hour for the roles, which are available both full-time and part-time, depending on location. The company, according to reports, is expected to see an uptick in business soon after it postponed its always popular Prime Day from July to some time in October, which will keep employees busy.

In Elgin, Schaumburg, Palatine and Arlington Heights, the company is seeking part-time and full-time warehouse and shopper team members. If hired, employees can expect to begin work within seven days. No resume' or previous work experience in retail is required, the company said.

Some hiring around the Chicago area involves either $250 to $1,000 signing bonus depending on location.

Amazon remains an essential business during the pandemic, the company said on the job listings page. Candidates must be 18 years of age or older and must be able to read English for safety reasons.

Written by Jeff Arnold