Amazon To Hire Over 5K In Chicago Area, Including In Lake County

WAUKEGAN, IL — Amazon has announced it plans to hire more than 5,000 people in coming weeks across the greater Chicago area, including in and around Lake County, as it bulks up local suburban operations with employees needed to help sort, ship and pack outgoing orders from fulfillment centers around the region.

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.

Company officials Monday announced plans to add more than 100,000 new employees to its workforce in anticipation of an increase in business. Amazon has already hired 175,000 people this year. Last week, company representatives said 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 is expected to soon see an uptick in business after postponing its always popular Prime Day from July to some time in October, which will keep employees busy. Nationwide, it hired 200,000 seasonal workers ahead of the holidays last year.

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Some of Amazon's hiring around the Chicago area involves a signing bonus of between $250 and $1,000 depending on location.

In Waukegan, the company is seeking full-time warehouse workers and offering flexible shifts as grocery store shoppers, with pay starting at $15 per hour.

The company is also offering $1,000 sign-on bonuses for a limited period of time to new workers at its Kenosha facility, where there are both full-time and seasonal positions available.

If hired, employees can expect to begin work within seven days. No resume or previous work experience in retail is required, the company said.

Amazon remains an essential business during the pandemic, company representatives noted on the job listings page.

Candidates must be 18 years of age or older and must be able to speak and read English for safety reasons, according to the company.