Amazon to hire 250,000 workers for 2025 holiday season

Amazon will hire 250,000 workers for the 2025 holiday season, keeping its seasonal hiring target unchanged from the past two years.

The positions include full-time, part-time, and temporary roles.

The retailer’s plan stands out as US companies are expected to add fewer than 500,000 seasonal jobs this year, the lowest since 2009, according to Challenger, Gray and Christmas.

Some large retailers, such as Target, have yet to announce hiring plans.

Seasonal jobs in transportation and warehousing are forecast to fall for the fourth straight year.

Ecommerce sales are expected to reach US$253.4 billion in November and December, up 5.3% from 2024, though many shoppers plan to cut spending due to rising prices and a weakening job market.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Amazon hiring holds steady as automation lifts output

Seasonal hiring stays at 250,000 as e-commerce grows 5.3%. Amazon marked its one millionth robot and rolled out DeepFleet AI, which raised robot travel efficiency by 10% 1.
More orders now use direct lanes (routes that bypass intermediate sorting hubs), up over 40% year over year, and boxes hold more items (higher units per box) 1. Fewer touches and miles let Amazon move extra volume without matching headcount growth, while Challenger, Gray & Christmas sees retail seasonal hiring drifting toward 2009 levels.
U.S. same-day or next-day deliveries rose 30% 1. Faster service with steady headcount points to efficiency gains amid 5.3% e-commerce growth.

Peak-season surcharges open pricing plays for merchants and logistics

FedEx starts 2025 peak surcharges in September, with higher fees from November 24 to December 28 2. UPS runs surcharges from September 28, 2025 through January 17, 2026 3. That timing complicates holiday planning.
3PLs (companies that manage shipping and warehousing for merchants) win share by pooling surcharge data across carriers. E-commerce platforms add dynamic routing tools that pick the best option by real-time price, destination or speed.
Small and medium-sized businesses should review fees early. They may shift volume to regional carriers like OnTrac, GLS US or to carriers without holiday surcharges such as UniUni, SpeedX and LSO (smaller parcel delivery companies serving specific regions) 2.