Amazon said in a blog post that due to the spread of COVID-19, it is opening 100,000 new full and part-time positions across the U.S. in 9ts fulfillment centers and delivery network to meet the surge in demand from people relying on Amazon’s service during this stressful time, particularly those most vulnerable to being out in public. “We also know many people have been economically impacted as jobs in areas like hospitality, restaurants, and travel are lost or furloughed as part of this crisis,” the company said. “We want those people to know we welcome them on our teams until things return to normal and their past employer is able to bring them back.” In addition to the additional 100,000 new roles Amazon is creating, it said it wants to recognize its employees who are playing an essential role for people at a time when many of the services that might normally be there to support them are closed. In the U.S., Amazon will be adding an additional $2 USD per hour worked through April from our current rate of $15/hour or more, depending on the region, GBP2 per hour in the UK, and approximately EUR2 per hour in many EU countries. This commitment to increased pay through the end of April represents an investment of over $350M in increased compensation for hourly employees across the U.S., Europe, and Canada.