100 new jobs on way at Amazon
More than 100 new jobs are being created at Amazon's base in Rugeley as the company launches a recruitment drive.
The positions, which are temporary, have been created to cope with increased worldwide demand at the successful online retail giant.
The jobs are on top of 350 permanent new posts announced last year to cope with the firm's multi-million expansion at its Towers Business Park base.
Bosses say they will be taking on staff over the next few weeks.
Recruitment is taking place in Staffordshire, with the company also looking further afield to fill the vacancies.
Cathy Taylor, employment and partnership manager at Wolverhampton's Jobcentre Plus, said there was growing demand for warehousing jobs in the area which was helping to drive down unemployment.
The demand included new jobs at Amazon which is looking for staff to work in its fulfilment centre.
She said: "The company wants to take on over 100 new staff to work on the Rugeley site over the next few weeks. They are looking as far as the Black Country to take on people as there are now a substantial number of employees travelling from the Black Country to work for Amazon at Rugeley."
Earlier this year the 700,000 sq ft centre had a new entrance and mezzanine floor built. A new lorry park and 344 extra car parking spaces for staff were created and a bus stop and roundabout also installed as part of the improvement work.
The new floorspace, which increased capacity, has strengthened Rugeley's position as the third biggest of Amazon's eight warehouses in the UK.
Confirming the new jobs, Amazon spokeswoman Melanie Etches today said: "We take on additional temporary staff to ensure that we continue to provide the highest levels of service when there are fluctuations in customer demand.
"Recruitment for a small number of temporary roles has taken place recently via a number of local agencies."
The firm, which employs 6,000 in the UK including around 1,000 at Rugeley, also takes on hundreds of temporary workers at busy times of the year such as Christmas.
Last year it took on 2,500 temporary workers at the Rugeley base, off Power Station Road, 1,000 more than at Christmas 2013.
Last month the company announced it had begun booking UK sales in this country Amazon opened in Rugeley in 2011.
