The e-commerce giant said salaries for the new roles will start at 31,000 British pounds (approximately $41,500). The program is part of a broader government drive, the Youth Guarantee initiative, which has also drawn pledges from Microsoft, Cisco and IBM to create opportunities for young Britons.
"When I visit our sites, I meet young people who had no idea where to start six months ago," Amazon UK country manager John Boumphrey said in a company press release. "They didn't have a CV. They didn't have experience. What they had was a positive attitude and a willingness to learn."
Pat McFadden, UK work and pensions secretary, welcomed the move. "This government's mission is to get Britain working, which is why we are backing employers who share our ambition to create opportunity in every part of the country," McFadden said in a statement. "This is exactly the kind of employer leadership that will reach young people in the communities that need it the most and drive our economy forward."
The UK currently has roughly one million young people classified as "Neets" (not in education, employment or training), concentrated mainly in larger cities. Amazon's hiring pledge follows a period of significant corporate job reductions. The company cut about 1,000 workers in India, the UK and its retail business in early October, and has eliminated roughly 30,000 corporate positions over the past year as part of a shift toward AI-focused operations.
Amazon has also announced plans to hire 300,000 seasonal workers for the holiday period in the U.S., but the UK entry-level commitment runs through 2030.