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LONDON: Amazon will create 7,000 permanent jobs in the UK by the end of the year, the US e-commerce giant announced Thursday in a boost to Britain鈥檚 virus-hit economy.
鈥淭he company will add a further 7,000 new permanent roles by the end of 2020 across more than 50 sites, including corporate offices and two new fulfilment centers,鈥� Amazon said in a statement.
Its total permanent UK workforce will number more than 40,000, up by a third in just one year as the pandemic triggers a surge in online shopping.
While several British retailers have together axed thousands of jobs following the country鈥檚 virus lockdown, others including supermarket giant Tesco are creating vast amounts of roles to cope with booming online demand.
Stefano Perego, Amazon鈥檚 vice president of European customer fulfilment, said his company is 鈥渆mploying thousands of talented individuals in a diverse range of good jobs from operations managers and tech professionals through to people to handle customer orders鈥� across the UK.
鈥淥ur people have played a critical role in serving customers in these unprecedented times and the new roles will help us continue to meet customer demand and support small and medium sized businesses selling on Amazon,鈥� he added.
The company, which has already created 3,000 new permanent UK roles this year, added on Thursday that it will offer more than 20,000 seasonal positions across the country ahead of the festive period.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma hailed the jobs announcement, with UK unemployment set to surge after the government ends next month its COVID-19 furlough scheme that is paying wages for millions of private-sector workers.
鈥淲hile this has been a challenging time for many businesses, it is hugely encouraging to see Amazon creating 10,000 jobs in the UK this year,鈥� Sharma said.
鈥淭his is not only great news for those looking for a new job, but also a clear vote of confidence in the UK economy as we build back better from the pandemic,鈥� he added.
Britain鈥檚 economy shrank by one fifth in the second quarter, more than any European neighbor, as the lockdown plunged the country into its deepest recession on record.
There is meanwhile much uncertainty surrounding the strength and pace of recovery.
Amazon鈥檚 announcement comes after it last month unveiled plans to hire 3,500 employees for its technology hubs and corporate offices across the US.