Pushed by Pandemic, Amazon Goes on a Hiring Spree Without Equal – The New York Times

Even for a company that regularly sets new superlatives, Amazon’s employee growth stands out as a stark illustration of its might. At this pace, it is on track to surpass Walmart within two years to become the world’s largest private employer.

Its expansion is unfolding as lawmakers and regulators in Washington and Europe have sounded the alarm over tech power. This month, European Union regulators brought antitrust charges against Amazon, accusing it of unfairly using its size and access to data to harm smaller merchants in its marketplace. Amazon has said merchants are thriving on its site, with their share of sales growing in the pandemic. The Federal Trade Commission is also examining the company, with President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. expected to continue scrutinizing the tech giants.

“We are turning into Amazon nation,” said Margaret O’Mara, a history professor at the University of Washington and a contributing New York Times opinion writer.

Having employees in nearly every state gives Amazon, which has warehouses around the country to be closer to customers, potentially outsize political leverage, Ms. O’Mara said. She added that history has shown there are risks when a region or country becomes too dependent on any one employer, though she said Amazon had not reached that point.

Amazon has portrayed its hiring as a boon for workers laid low by the pandemic-induced recession, as unemployment has soared and as restaurants, airlines and other businesses suffer.