Amazon bills itself as a creator of jobs . calculate no further than theludicroussubsidy packages offered by urban center in competition to host its second headquarters . But according to public records requestsobtainedby the Intercept , Amazon can drain public coffer in other way , with five states heel Bezos ’s empire as a top donee of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance dollars .
The issue of Amazon workers relying on food stamps may be more widespread , as this news only represents the data that ’s been provide publicly so far . But in Kansas , Pennsylvania , Washington , Ohio , and Arizona , Amazon is among the top 20 beneficiaries of SNAP — and in Arizona things are peculiarly dreaded , with one out of every three Amazon employees needing food cast to eat .
It ’s a superb grift , take at a distance : Amazon promises line — often low - acquisition sortation and fulfilment jobs in to - be - built warehouses in small , spoilt cities without much of a local economic system , likeSan Bernardino , California — in exchange for a snack counter of subsidies . These are the same jobs that reportedly have workers spending 10 hoursin a metallic element cage , afraid to take breaks to use the bathroom , which are themselves supported by an even more shaky glut of temporary , seasonal , and “ at - will ” employees who are on call , but do not have benefit or guaranteed hours . Then the number of those Job and their expected remuneration is whittled down until the duped metropolis is left hoof the handbill .
4/19/18 4:50pm ET : An Amazon voice transmit Gizmodo the following statement :
“ Amazon allow for employees with competitory wages and regular salary step-up plus Amazon stock and performance based bonuses . We also provide comprehensive benefits which include health , vision , and dental insurance coverage set forth on day one , generous motherhood and family allow , tuition fee for career Education Department , and a electronic internet of support to win . ”
4/20/18 3:22pm ET : An Amazon spokesperson reached out to Gizmodo again and require that we supplant the statement they provided with the one below . We declined . The second statement mostly iterate what they argue yesterday , with the additional selective information of the issue of jobs and an an hourly wage number inflated by strain options ( if employee last long enough to leverage those options ) and incentives . Excluded is the opinion that Amazon provides a “ internet of support , ” for whatever intellect .
“ Amazon is gallant to have create over 130,000 new jobs last yr alone . These are undecomposed Job with extremely competitory pay and full benefit . In the U.S. , the average hourly earnings for a full - meter comrade in our fulfillment centers , include hard currency , Malcolm stock , and incentive bonus , is over $ 15 / hr before extra time . That ’s in addition to our full benefits package that includes wellness , vision and dental insurance , retirement , generous parental farewell , and skills training for in - requirement line of work through our Career Choice program , which has over 16,000 participant . ”
We reached out to this spokesperson to expect if the number of job Amazon created last twelvemonth includes part - time and seasonal workers , and if so , what their estimated hourly wage might be . We ’ll update when we hear back .
[ The Intercept ]
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