Amazon plans 1,000 permanent Manchester jobs in 2016

Online retail giant Amazon has unveiled plans to create 1,000 permanent jobs in Manchester by opening a fulfilment centre in the city. In a statement released on Wednesday (9 March), the group said it will be recruiting for a range of positions, from operations managers to engineers, HR and IT roles to associates who will handle orders at the fulfilment centre, set to be located near to Manchester Airport.

In February the US company said it would open a new fulfilment centre in Coalville, Leicestershire, in the autumn, which is expected to create 500 new permanent jobs over the next three years. The opening of the two new sites will take the number of Amazon fulfilment centres in the UK to 12 and is in line with the company's plans to create 2,500 permanent jobs in the UK this year, bringing its total workforce to 14,500 by the end of 2016.

Amazon said all its employees in the fulfilment centre will receive £7.20 an hour or more, with pay set to increase by at least 11% over their first two years of employment, by which time all employees will earn £8 an hour or more. The company added it was planning to hire staff countrywide at its head office, research and development centres as well as customer service centres.

The group, has invested more than £4.6bn (€5.96bn, $6.5bn) in the UK economy to build and run its UK business since 2010

"We are excited to open our first fulfilment centre in the North West of England, creating 1,000 new permanent jobs over three years with competitive wages and comprehensive benefits starting on day one," said John Tagawa, Amazon's Vice President of UK Operations.

"We are proud to continue to add new permanent jobs to grow our dedicated and enthusiastic workforce who play a crucial role in delivering a first rate level of service for our customers."

Mike Kane, MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, said: "This is fantastic news for residents of Wythenshawe and Sale East. 1,000 new permanent jobs over three years will open up new opportunities for many people in my constituency. This investment is another big step in the renaissance of Wythenshawe."