Billionaire Bezos' Amazon warehouse employees depend on food stamps in 9 states
Bezos, the richest man in the world, benefitted from pandemic conditions
More than 4,000 warehouse workers at Amazon, the e-commerce giant founded by the world's richest man, depend on food stamps to make ends meet in nine states, according to new U.S. Government Accountability Office data this week.
The report said 70% of food stamp recipients who work at the United States' second-largest employer and other chain retailers like Walmart work full time.
JEFF BEZOS' EX-WIFE MACKENZIE SCOTT DONATES $4.2B TO CHARITY
Amazon -- whose workers are pictured smiling in ads to match the company's curved arrow logo -- markets its jobs to high school graduates, according to Bloomberg.
An Amazon package is loaded onto a U.S. Postal Service truck, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020, in Portland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
While health insurance is provided to employees, opportunities for growth are rare if there are any, according to Bloomberg.
In addition, Bloomberg reported Thursday that an analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed wages for warehouse workers fell after buildings opened for business in 68 counties.
In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson told Fox Business that Bloomberg's conclusions were "false," violated "over 50 years of economic thought," and suspended "the law of supply and demand."
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE WORKER
"Hiring more, by paying less, simply does not work," the company said. "Many of our employees join Amazon from other jobs in retail which tend to be predominantly part-time, reduced-benefit jobs with substantially less than our $15 minimum wage. These employees see a big increase in pay per hour, total take-home pay, and overall benefits versus their previous jobs."
The spokesperson said Amazon was taken aback by Bloomberg's report.
"What surprises us is that we are the focus of a story like this when some of the country’s largest employers, including the largest retailer, have yet to join us in raising the minimum wage to $15," the company said.
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The company's $15 minimum wage amounts to about $31,000 a year without overtime.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMZN | AMAZON.COM INC. | 201.45 | -1.43 | -0.70% |
Amazon increased hourly wages and provided double overtime in May.
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on and demand for online retail reaches an all-time high during the holiday season, workers on the front lines have increasingly complained of being put at risk.
Amazon workers around the world took to the streets on Black Friday in a demonstration for workers' rights, using the social media hashtag #MakeAmazonPay.
But while food insecurity and an economic crisis cripple American workers, billionaires like Bezos, also Amazon's CEO, are only getting richer.
As 40 million Americans filed for unemployment since March, billionaires saw their net worth increase by a trillion dollars, according to Statista.
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Bezos, the richest man in the world according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, saw his wealth grow about 65% this year. He owns 11% of Amazon stock, and his personal fortune is estimated to be $189 billion.
