Amazon is due to bring more than 1000 jobs to the UK as it announces plans to invest in three regional hubs in Manchester, Cambridge and Edinburgh.
The lion’s share of the roles will come from its new office in Manchester, set to create 600 software development, machine learning and research and development roles.
Meanwhile the online behemoth will expand its existing development centre in Edinburgh creating 250 new roles focused on advertising technology and personalised shopping recommendations.
A further 180 jobs will be created at Amazon’s centre in Cambridge, understood to focus on the development of Alexa, drone deliveries and cloud computing.
The news has been hailed by secretary of state for international trade Liam Fox, who called it an “enormous vote of confidence in the UK.
Amazon’s UK manager Doug Gurr added that the UK was “taking a leading role in our global innovation”.
“These are Silicon Valley jobs in Britain, and further cement our long-term commitment to the UK,” he said.
“Manchester was at the heart of the industrial revolution and has a fantastic history of innovation. The city offers an incredibly talented workforce and a budding tech scene with some of the most exciting, fast-growing tech companies in the UK situated here.”
This will mean Amazon will employ around 27,500 people in the UK by the end of the year, including 20,000 across its 17 fulfilment centres and 40 delivery stations and another 6500 roles in corporate, web services and research and design roles.
This comes after Amazon announced that it will raise its minimum wage by nearly 20 per cent.
Workers outside of London will see their baseline wages increase 18.8 per cent to £9.50 an hour, comfortably above the National Living Wage of £7.83 per hour.
For staff working inside of London, wages will shoot up 28 per cent to £10.50 an hour, with both increases benefiting Amazon’s 17,000 permanent workers and 20,000 temporary seasonal staff.
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