Amazon Is a Lifeline for Retail Workers (If They Live in the Right City)
The jobless in Columbus can find work at a nearby Amazon warehouse. El Paso workers aren't so lucky.
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Elijah Hahe spent years toiling in retail—supermarket cart boy, gas station attendant—with little to show for it but low pay, inconsistent hours and skimpy benefits. So when Hahe heard a radio ad for positions at a new Amazon.com Inc. warehouse near Columbus, Ohio, he applied immediately.
"I knew Amazon was an up-and-coming company, so I figured I'd give it a shot," says Hahe, who’s 25. "It was definitely scary. Once I got here, I realized it was a good fit."
A year later, Hahe is training new hires and aspires to run his own warehouse. He has steady full-time work, health benefits and is saving for a three-week vacation to Ireland, something he never considered while working retail.