Amazon offers £1,000 joining bonus for new UK staff

Amazon is offering new warehouse workers a £1,000 joining bonus in a bid to attract new recruits.

The online retail giant is advertising for "urgently needed" warehouse pickers and packers in the UK to meet demand, amid a growing recruitment crisis.

Candidates who take up the roles before 18 September will get the sign-on fee, according to jobs site Indeed.

It is the latest example of firms using incentives to attract staff as they struggle to recruit.

Brexit, coronavirus and the furlough scheme, which still supports millions of workers, have been blamed for the mounting recruitment challenges.

Hospitality was badly hit by the so-called "pingdemic", while companies including major supermarkets are suffering disruptions to their supply chains due to a UK-wide shortage of HGV drivers.

Tesco has offered lorry drivers a £1,000 joining bonus, while John Lewis plans to increase annual salaries for its drivers.

The meat industry has said it is hoping to recruit prisoners and former inmates to fill roles in abattoirs and processing plants.

According to official figures, UK job vacancies hit a record 953,000 in the three months to July.

Amazon is advertising its new roles at warehouses across the country, including in Darlington, Dartford, Swansea, Redditch and Coventry.

As well as the joining bonus, the company is offering an hourly rate of £11.10 an hour, with overtime rising to £22.20 an hour.

Amazon says it is offering "immediate starts with no experience needed".