Amazon’s expansion in the UK
As one of the world’s largest online retailers, Amazon’s expansion in the UK has been significant in recent years. In 2021, the company created 25,000 new jobs in the country as the COVID-19 pandemic led to a shift towards online shopping. The company also opened four new warehouses across the UK.
This year, Amazon plans to create an additional 4,000 jobs in the UK, bringing its total UK workforce to 75,000. The new positions will be split between warehouse work in Wakefield and Knowsley, corporate work in London and Manchester, and technology work in Edinburgh and Cambridge. These jobs will make Amazon one of the top ten private sector employers in the UK.
Impact on small and medium-sized businesses
In addition to directly employing a large number of people, Amazon’s presence in the UK also indirectly supports the employment of many more people through its platform. The company estimates that over 85,000 small and medium-sized businesses in the country sell on its platform, which supports an additional 250,000 jobs.
Criticism of working conditions
Despite its significant contribution to the UK economy, Amazon has faced criticism in the past for its working conditions and response to employees seeking to unionize for better pay and conditions. In April 2022, the first Amazon employers’ union was created in the company’s Staten Island hub in New York after a lengthy battle. Other Amazon sites, including those in Garner, North Carolina and Campbellsville, Kentucky, continue to seek unionization.
In conclusion, Amazon’s expansion in the UK has had a significant impact on employment in the country. The company’s plans to create 4,000 new jobs this year will make it one of the top ten private sector employers in the UK, with a total workforce of 75,000. In addition to these direct employment opportunities, Amazon’s platform also supports the employment of an estimated 250,000 people through small and medium-sized businesses that sell on its platform. While the company has faced criticism for its working conditions and response to employees seeking to unionize, it remains a major contributor to the UK economy.
