Depends On How You Look At It, Amazon Looking To Hire 3600 in MI

Let's start with the good news. Amazon is still hiring, hiring a lot. The Detroit News says of the 100,000 workers Amazon is hoping to hire nationally, 3,600 of those jobs are in Michigan. Looking at the a little more closely, the bulk of the opening on the amazon website are for the Detroit area, but there are some in Lansing and a few more pop up from the Grand Rapids area. The jobs that do appear are "Warehouse Team Member", or "Part Time Warehouse Team Member".

The News story quotes Comerica Bank economist Robert Dye, saying

"Recessions, including the one we are in now, are periods of rapid change in the economy. Amazon is clearly on the favorable side of the accelerated creative destruction that we are now seeing in the economy. Amazon’s expansion in Michigan will provide jobs to thousands of workers who will spend their paychecks in Michigan, supporting their local and regional economies and their local and state tax bases." - Robert Dye, Comerica Bank Chief Economist, in the Detroit News.

The jobs pay better that entry level wages, starting at $15, and some come with signing bonuses, plus Amazon offers benefits like health and dental and 401K.

But the questions remain, is this growth in Amazon's business permanent, as it continues to wreak havoc on the traditional business economy, or is temporary, due to the pandemic and them will recede and that will be followed by cutbacks. Only time will tell.