Amazon is hiring 2,000 people in New York City as the $5 billion bidding war for its new headquarters rages
The online retail giant is hiring 2,000 more employees over the next three years at a new office in New York City. The office is part of the Hudson Yards mega-development on the west side of Manhattan, according to CNBC.
The company is leasing 360,000 square feet at 5 Manhattan West, with space for its advertising, Amazon Fashion, and Amazon Web Services teams.
"We're excited to expand our presence in New York - we have always found great talent here," Paul Kotas, Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide advertising, told CNBC.
The move comes amid Amazon's search for the site of its second headquarters, which the company has promised will be as big as its current home in Seattle. Amazon said it would invest $5 billion in the construction of its new headquarters, and it hopes to eventually house 50,000 staff members there
Nearly every city that qualifies in the US and Canada has stated it has made or is considering making a bid, which Amazon said is due on October 19.
That includes New York, where city officials have said that in lieu of offering financial incentives, they plan to leverage the city's desirability in a push to appeal to Amazon. The company also recently announced it is building its first fulfillment center in the city, in Staten Island, where it will hire 2,250 new employees.