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Amazon Will Hire Thousands In North Carolina To Meet Online Demand

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

As unemployment in North Carolina is expected to skyrocket due to the spread of the coronavirus, there is one bright spot on the horizon. Amazon is preparing to hire thousands of workers.

The company is planning on adding 2,000 new jobs across the state. It's an increase meant to handle a huge spike in online orders as COVID-19 has disrupted the retail industry.

The News & Observer reports the new jobs will be at the company's fulfillment centers and in its delivery network. That includes the center located outside of Greensboro. Recently furloughed or laid-off workers are encouraged to apply and work until their former employers are ready to take them back.

The company will also be raising its minimum wage for employees through April, from $15 to $17 per hour.

Amazon says it's stepping up precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 among workers.

A spokeswoman says the company is promoting social distancing in the workplace and increasing workspace cleaning.

A relief fund is being established for contracted delivery workers and seasonal employees who may experience financial setbacks because of the outbreak.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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