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Amazon Goes on Hiring Spree as Labor Market Tightens

by Associated Press

   SEATTLE --

   Amazon has some job openings. Lots of them.
   The company said Wednesday that it's looking to fill more than 50,000
   positions across the U.S.
   It's planning to make thousands of offers on the spot on Aug. 2, when
   it opens the doors to potential hires at 10 Amazon.com Inc. shipping
   sites.
   There will be more than 10,000 part-time jobs available at sorting
   centers, and some supporting and managerial positions.
   The labor market is growing tight with back-to-school and holiday
   shopping around the corner. Others will be competing for those same
   hires.
   The unemployment rate is 4.4 percent, near a 16-year low, yet the
   average hourly pay rose just 2.5 percent in the past year. The last
   time unemployment was this low, wages were rising at roughly a 4
   percent rate.