Jeff Bezos, the founder of private space company Blue Origin and Amazon.com, visited the Los Angeles Air Force base, Space and Missile Systems Center, and spoke to the Airmen, Civilians, and Contractors at the Gordon Conference Center, Oct. 25, 2017. Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Air Force Base Space and Missile System Center.
Inflation is wreaking havoc on companies’ payrolls, with strikes and demands for higher pay across America. In an effort to get ahead of the crucial holiday season, and to prevent mass departures of Amazon Prime drivers and other employees, the company is investing $450 million in wage increases and other benefits. Dana Mattioli reports in The Wall Street Journal:
Amazon.com Inc. said it is planning to raise pay and benefits for its delivery partners, as the e-commerce giant gears up for the peak holiday season amid a persistently tight labor market.
The company will invest $450 million to fund wage increases and other benefits for delivery drivers employed by members of its Delivery Service Partners network, it said in a release. The company started the program in 2018, encouraging entrepreneurs to start their own fleets of drivers with initial investments of as little as $10,000.
Other benefits as part of the new initiative include up to $5,250 a year for drivers to pay for educational programs, and financial support for a 401(k) investment plan for drivers.
The announcement comes as Amazon starts hiring for the all-important holiday season, when orders for deliveries hit monthslong highs. It also comes as Amazon has been restructuring the logistics network after it grew too quickly during the pandemic, leading executives to slash planned warehouse capacity to cut costs.
Amazon in recent years has rolled out similar benefits for its warehouse workers as it expanded the logistics network, which is the backbone of its vast e-commerce operation, while trying to fend off union organizers who have started to make inroads in its workforce.
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