Amazon surpasses goal of hiring 100,000 veterans and military spouses

Amazon has successfully reached a workforce benchmark it set three years ago.

In July 2021, the e-tail giant announced it would hire more than 100,000 U.S. veterans and military spouses by 2024. At the time, Amazon employed 40,000 veterans and military spouses across multiple businesses and was building upon its 2016 Joining Forces pledge to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses by 2021.

As of January 2024, Amazon says it has exceeded this goal. In its efforts to hire veterans and military spouses, the retailer offers a range of career transition programs. 

These include company-funded skills training initiatives and free upskilling programs like Career Choice, Amazon’s prepaid tuition program for employees looking to move into high-demand occupations. 

Veterans and military spouses working at Amazon also have access to fellowships, mentorships, military spouse support, and deployment benefits. These include:

• The Military Spouse Fellowship program, a 12-week fellowship that enables them to access professional training, networking, and military spouse events, while gaining hands-on job experience.
• Warriors at Amazon, an affinity group comprising Amazon employees who have served, or are still serving, in their respective country’s military forces; military spouses; and all who support them. With over 600 chapters, this program aids veterans during their transition into the Amazon workforce by providing a professional network and community outreach opportunities.
• The Military Mentoring Program, which connects veterans new to Amazon with employees who have successfully transitioned from the military. So far, this program has helped more than 5,000 veterans transition into their roles at Amazon.

"People with military backgrounds bring fortitude, agility, and adaptability to their work, all of which are core themes in Amazon’s leadership principles," said Charlotte La Belle, senior manager of global military affairs, Amazon. "We are thrilled to have so many talented veterans and military spouses contribute to Amazon’s culture each day, and I congratulate the dozens of team members across Amazon who enabled us to reach this goal. We look forward to continuing to recruit and develop military talent who pursue secondary careers at Amazon."