The e-commerce juggernaut plans to add more than 2,500 jobs
Amid the Great Resignation, Amazon is looking to bolster its operations in California, planning to expand its tech hubs in San Diego and the Los Angeles area, including Irvine and Santa Monica.
“Communities across California have welcomed Amazon over the past decade and have seen firsthand how our investments can unlock new opportunities for their neighbors and local economies. We’ve created more than 170,000 jobs across the state and are committed to continue investing here,” said Holly Sullivan, Amazon’s vice president of worldwide economic development.
The expansion will support various teams across the company, including retail, Amazon Games, Amazon Web Services and operations. Along with this, the company will create more than 2,500 corporate and technology jobs over the coming years.
Read more: This HR department reduced turnover by 5% during Great Resignation
Interested parties can apply for roles such as software development engineers, game designers and user experience designers. There are also vacancies in HR, finance, IT and more. "They’re a fantastic opportunity for Californians of all backgrounds to join Amazon and build a successful career,” said Sullivan.
Specifically, Amazon plans to create more than 1,000 new corporate and tech jobs in Santa Monica. To accommodate this hiring effort, the company has signed a lease for a 200,000-square-foot space with J.P. Morgan Asset Management at the Water Garden. The new site will begin welcoming employees in mid-2023.
In Irvine, Amazon also plans to create more than 800 corporate and tech jobs and has signed a lease for 116,000 square feet of space at Spectrum Terrace with Irvine Company. Amazon plans to occupy the space later this year.
“Economic development, especially job creation, is critical to our city’s growth. Amazon’s expansion of its tech hub in Irvine is a testament to the fantastic talent pool and high quality of life our city has to offer,” said Farrah Khan, mayor of Irvine. “Investments like Amazon’s act as a vote of confidence for Irvine and these 800 new corporate and tech roles will continue to unlock economic opportunity for our community.”
The company has also signed a lease for a 123,000-square-foot space with Seritage Growth Properties and Invesco at University Town Center to accommodate more than 700 employees. The new office hub will open in 2023. Currently, about 1,000 tech and corporate employees are already working at Amazon’s San Diego Tech Hub.
"Job creation and economic development is essential to a sustainable and vibrant city,” said Chris Cate, San Diego City councilmember. “I am excited to see how Amazon's expanded presence in San Diego will drive new investments in our region and bring 700 new tech and corporate jobs, boosting economic growth for years to come. San Diego is the perfect place for Amazon to bring cutting edge innovation and technology to reality."
Since 2010, Amazon has created more than 170,000 full- and part-time jobs in California and invested more than $81 billion across the state, including infrastructure from fulfillment centers, Whole Foods Market locations, and three Tech Hubs. in 2021 alone, Amazon opened more than 15 sites across Southern California and created more than 17,000 jobs statewide.
However, the company might have to make its workplaces safer: Amazon warehouse workers are far more likely to suffer serious injuries at work compared with their counterparts in other companies, according to a recent report.
