Amazon has pledged 30,000 entry-level jobs in the UK by 2030 for young people from the areas with the fewest opportunities. The roles start at £15.10 an hour, more than £31,000 a year pro rata, and need no CV or work experience, Amazon said in its announcement.
The Amazon Youth Promise, announced on 20 October, offers a mix of permanent and seasonal fixed-term roles to 18 to 24-year-olds. The jobs are in Amazon’s operations network, picking, packing and shipping orders across its more than 100 UK sites. Private medical insurance and a pension start from day one.
“When I visit our sites, I meet young people who had no idea where to start six months ago. They didn’t have a CV. They didn’t have experience.” John Boumphrey, Amazon UK country manager
Amazon has signed the government’s Youth Guarantee and will work with the Department for Work and Pensions on its programmes. Around a million young people in the UK are not in education, employment or training, known as Neets. That is the highest rate in a decade, according to Amazon.
Placements and support
Alongside the jobs, Amazon will offer more than 10,000 work experience places by 2030. It plans to raise the yearly number from about 900 this year to more than 3,000. Its JOBS project with Barnardo’s will support 2,000 young people from 2027. It has also committed to more than 1,000 supported internships for young people with learning disabilities and autism.
From 2027, Amazon will hold recruitment events for young people in Merseyside, Stoke-on-Trent, Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire. Every unsuccessful applicant aged 18 to 24 will get a follow-up email with guidance and a link to reapply.
The government’s push
“It’s great to see Amazon joining the growing number of major businesses backing our Youth Guarantee to give every young person the chance to earn or learn.” Pat McFadden, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Days earlier, prime minister Andy Burnham warned of an “economic catastrophe and moral failure” over the number of young people out of work and training, The Independent reported. Former health secretary Alan Milburn, quoted in Amazon’s announcement, said the problem is opportunity, not aspiration.
“The first rung has thinned, and too many young people can’t get a foot in the door.” Alan Milburn
Cuts elsewhere
The pledge covers warehouse roles. Amazon has also been cutting jobs: it reportedly cut roles in its retail unit this month, after earlier layoffs. In September, it sold its first sterling bonds to help fund its AI spending.