Amazon to create 1,000 jobs at new Bristol distribution centre

Amazon is continuing its investment in the UK, with the online retail giant unveiling plans for a new distribution centre near Bristol which will create 1,000 new permanent jobs.

The Seattle-based company plans to start recruiting engineers, operations managers, HR and IT specialists ahead of the facility's opening in 2018.

It already has 13 such centres in the UK, and is on track to open further new warehouses in Doncaster, Warrington and Tilbury later this year.

Amazon said the decision to open another centre just outside of Bristol at Severn Beach was driven by "increasing customer demand".

The announcement comes less than a month after the firm said it was doubling the number of research and development (R&D) specialists it is looking to recruit in London.

The company is aiming to hire 900 R&D workers for its UK headquarters in Shoreditch , including software development engineers, user-interface experts, data analysts and graphic designers.

The announcement was seen as a boost for the UK amid fears the country will be starved of access to talent from the continent after Brexit - with employers highlighting worries about a skills shortage .

Filton and Bradley Stoke MP Jack Lopresti, whose constituency includes Severn Beach, said: "This will bring more jobs to our area and offer careers with training opportunities, helping the local economy to grow.

"An international outward-looking company like Amazon will help us maximise the fantastic opportunities for our region after Brexit."

Amazon, which has faced criticism over the way it treats workers, said all permanent "fulfilment centre" staff would be offered "competitive wages and comprehensive benefits starting on day one".

Employees will start on an hourly wage of £7.65, increasing to £8.15 or more over their first two years on the job, it said.

It will also offer staff stock grants and benefits including private medical insurance, income protection, subsidised meals, and a company pension plan.

Stefano Perego, Amazon's director of UK customer fulfilment, said: "There are several factors we consider when deciding on where to place a new fulfilment centre, and Bristol offers fantastic infrastructure and talented local people who we look forward to joining the Amazon team."