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SEATTLE – Even Amazon can be shocked by political pressures and the tightening of the labor market. The online giant announced on Tuesday that it would raise the minimum wage to $ 15 by the hour for all American workers.
The salary increase would include part-time workers and those hired by temporary work agencies. The company announced that it would also pressure Washington to raise the federal minimum wage.
Amazon said the new salaries would affect more than 250,000 Amazon employees, including those from the Whole Foods grocery chain, as well as the more than 100,000 seasonal employees that she will hire for the holiday season. It will come into effect on November 1st.
The company had previously indicated that the average hourly wage for full-time workers in distribution centers, including incentive bonuses and bonuses, was more than $ 15 per hour, without disclosing workers' wages. part time and under contract.
Amazon is increasingly criticized for the salaries and working conditions of its staff, particularly in the distribution centers where it packages and sorts orders, as well as contracted drivers who make deliveries in the last mile. Some Whole Foods food chain workers, bought by Amazon last year, have recently makes an effort to organize a union.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent Liberal from Vermont, attacked Amazon directly, noting the company's new financial information, which shows that his median salary is $ 28,446, which means that half of his employees earn less. Amazon, which is generally reserved when it reacts to criticism, was publicly rejected, claiming that Sanders' statements were "misleading" and that the median salary for full-time employees in the United States was $ 34,123.
"We listened to our critics, thought about what we wanted to do and decided to lead," said Jeff Bezos, chief executive of Amazon, in a statement. "We are excited about this change and are encouraging our competitors and other major employers to join us."
Even though Amazon is pushing to use more robots in its warehouses and to expand its experiences like AmazonGo, these are convenience stores without boxes, the need for manpower is huge, especially as the holiday season approaches. In the United States, with an unemployment rate of less than 4%, the tight labor market has made it harder for workers and other retailers to be attractive.
The reduced supply of potential workers is slowly pushing wages up. According to federal data, the average salary of retail salespeople in the United States is $ 13.20 per hour. For all retail workers, including salespeople, cashiers and supervisors, the average salary is $ 18.85.
"Currently, in the United States, unemployment is quite low and Amazon may be struggling to recruit and retain its employees," said Alan Manning, professor of economics at the London School of Economics, who has studied minimum wage policies. "It's also a bit of good publicity."
Less than an hour after the announcement on Tuesday, Dave Clark, vice president of Amazon in charge of Operations, posted on Twitter a video showing employees applauded when he announced the news.
The federal minimum wage has been set at $ 7.25 for almost 10 years, although more than 20 states and cities have higher wage levels. In 2014, Seattle, the birthplace of Amazon, was one of the first major cities to pass a law that would increase wages to $ 15.
"Once you've paid a higher salary, you tend to want your competitors to also pay a higher salary," said Professor Manning. "If your costs increase, you will also want your rivals to increase as well."
Adam Satariano contributed to the London report.
Follow Karen Weise on Twitter: @kyweise.
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