Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced an expansion of its Austin Tech
Hub and plans to create 800 new tech jobs in fields including software
and hardware engineering, research science, and cloud computing.
Together with its customer fulfillment facilities, Amazon has created
more than 22,000 full-time jobs in Texas and since 2011 has invested
over $7 billion in the state, including infrastructure and compensation
to its employees.
“In the last four years, we have created more than a 1,000 jobs in
Austin,” said Terry Leeper, General Manager of Amazon’s Austin Tech Hub.
“With a strong pool of technical talent in Austin and a dynamic quality
of life, we are excited to continue to expand and create more
opportunity in this vibrant city.”
“The state of Texas has cultivated a strong and vibrant business
environment, leading to more jobs and greater innovation,” said Governor
Abbott. “With today’s announcement and continued investment in the
technology sector, Texas will continue to chart a path toward greater
economic prosperity.”
“It is no surprise that Texas’ booming economy continues to attract
innovative companies, both large and small. Amazon’s decision to further
expand comes with the recognition that Texas continues to boast a
pro-business environment that helps businesses and families to grow,
thrive, and succeed,” said Congressman McCaul. “This expansion will help
ensure Austin remains at the cutting-edge of the tech that’s fueling and
driving emerging markets.”
“I’m pleased that Amazon is doubling down on Austin by expanding the
Tech Hub,” said Senator Watson. “Austin is a special place that fosters
creativity and innovation, and I appreciate that Amazon has chosen to
become an even greater contributor to our dynamic community and economy.”
“We are pleased to see Amazon’s significant investment in the Austin
region continue to grow,” said Gary Farmer, Opportunity Austin Chair,
Austin Chamber of Commerce. “This expanding presence is indicative of
our region’s ability to provide creative and innovative talent. We’re
proud to call Amazon a partner in our efforts to achieve regional
prosperity.”
Amazon’s Austin Tech Hub is one of the company’s 17 North American Tech
Hubs – a network of development centers in addition to Amazon’s Seattle
and Northern Virginia headquarters. Together, these Hubs have more than
20,000 employees, building new products and services for Amazon
customers around the world. Austin-based teams primarily focus on Amazon
Web Services (AWS), Amazon Business, Amazon devices, video game design,
advertising and more. To accommodate the additional job creation in
Austin, Amazon will expand into a new 145,000 square foot office in The
Domain, opening in 2020. Amazon’s new office will be located in Domain
10 owned by TIER REIT, which is co-developing the project with Endeavor
Real Estate Group.
Named #1 on LinkedIn Top Companies in 2018, Amazon provides
comprehensive benefits to its employees, including healthcare from day
one, 401(k) with 50 percent match and flexible parental leave —from the
company’s most senior executives to its hourly FC associates. Amazon
also offers a range of programs to equip job seekers and employees with
the skills they need for new, in-demand jobs, from paid cloud computing
apprenticeships for military veterans, to its innovative Career Choice
program, which pre-pays 95% of tuition for courses in in-demand fields,
regardless of whether skills are relevant to a career at Amazon. To
date, more than 12,000 employees have participated in Career Choice in
the United States, pursuing degrees in healthcare, information
technology, and many more areas of study.
Investing and creating jobs in Texas
Since 2011, Amazon has invested over $7 billion in Texas, from building
customer fulfillment facilities, cloud infrastructure, and a
253-megawatt (MW) wind farm to compensation to its teams. The company
estimates that these direct investments in the state contributed more
than $5 billion to Texas’ economy (2011-2017) and generated an
additional 30,000 indirect jobs on top of the company’s direct hires.
There are also more than 130,000 authors, developers, and small and
medium-sized businesses in Texas growing their businesses with Amazon.
Additionally, as part of Amazon’s ongoing commitment to the communities
where our employees live and work, the Amazon Future Engineer program –
a childhood-to-career program to inspire, educate and propel children
and young adults from underserved and underrepresented communities to
pursue careers in computer science – has added more than 90 high schools
across Texas to date. Amazon has supported more than a hundred local
schools and organizations in Texas through monetary and in-kind
donations, and employees have dedicated thousands of volunteer hours to
charities such as the North Texas Food Bank and Dallas Special Olympics
Competition. In 2017, Amazon also aided with disaster relief efforts for
Hurricane Harvey, which included AWS’ support of supplemental call
centers for the Red Cross and work with the Texas Homeless Network.
Over the past seven years, the company has invested more than $160
billion in the U.S., including corporate offices, development and
research centers, fulfillment infrastructure, and compensation to its
employees.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than
competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational
excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping,
personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle
Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa
are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more
information, visit www.amazon.com/about
and follow @AmazonNews.
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