ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — As the holiday season approaches, Amazon is preparing to add more than 8,000 jobs across the state of Florida, according to a news release.
In Tampa alone, the company expects to hire 1,800 employees for a range of roles and experience levels.
"We’re proud to offer a wide variety of roles for people of all backgrounds, with more than 150,000 roles available across the country. Whether someone is looking for some extra money for a few months or a long-term career...,” John Felton, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations, said in a statement, in part.
This announcement, however, comes at a time when the Federal Reserve is desperately trying to slow down the U.S. economy.
The Feds are hoping to achieve a difficult “soft landing”: An economic slowdown that manages to rein in rocketing prices without triggering a recession.
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Fed officials say they are determined to keep raising interest rates and hold them at an elevated level until it is clear inflation has subsided, The Associated Press reported.
Even with a cooling market, the need for workers is still there. According to a report by The New York Times, the number of open positions only declined slightly.
"Federal Reserve officials have theorized that rather than prompting employers to lay people off, rising interest rates would instead subdue the economy by simply reducing their need for additional workers. So far, that’s happening — but very slowly," the Times wrote.
Many technology companies, including Amazon, have recently announced layoffs and hiring freezes. The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon is halting hiring in its retail division.
However, according to the Journal, Amazon's freeze doesn't include other parts of the company, which is good news for Floridians excited about this latest hiring announcement.
"The company has been adjusting its logistics network this year after it grew too quickly during the pandemic. It has called off or pushed back the openings of dozens of facilities, though it is now looking to ramp up to meet end-of-year demand," the journal wrote.