Amazon is going big for the holidays this year. According to Chain Store Age, the company plans to hire more than 300,000 seasonal, part-time, and full-time workers across the U.S. That's its most ever and about 20% more than the 250,000 it hired in each of the last three holiday seasons. Pay averages around $20 an hour, some workers could move into full-time roles, and new openings will be posted every week through December.

The bigger news may be the benefits. Starting January 1st, 2027, seasonal workers who put in at least 30 hours a week will be able to get health coverage. Plans start at $5 a week with $5 copays. People hired this holiday season get access on January 1st, and anyone hired after that is covered from day one.

Amazon is going against the trend. Retail seasonal hiring overall is expected to drop below last year, to about 450,000 jobs this quarter, according to the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Dick's Sporting Goods is cutting its holiday hiring by about 40%, to around 8,400 workers, and its Foot Locker brands are down a similar amount. Michaels is keeping its hiring flat at about 10,000.