Amazon Will Hire More Than 12,500 Temporary Workers for Holidays

Amazon (AMZN) will hire more than 12,500 temporary workers for its U.S. fulfillment centers during the holiday season as the world's largest online retailer gears up for its busiest time of year.

Amazon.com will add 4,000 people in to its operations in Pennsylvania, more than 2,500 in Indiana, and 2,000 in Kentucky, the company said in separate statements Friday. Amazon.com will also hire thousands of workers in both Arizona and Nevada.

The retail giant is gearing up for more consumers to use the Internet for gift purchases. In October, Amazon forecast fourth-quarter sales of as much as $13.3 billion, which would be up 40% from a year earlier and 76% more than its third-quarter sales.

The company is counting on the U.S. economy showing some signs of recovery as consumers approach the holiday season. U.S. consumer spending in October increased about 7% from September, according to a Gallup poll released Thursday. Meanwhile, U.S. gross domestic product grew 2% during the third quarter while consumer spending increased at its fastest pace in almost four years.

Amazon's third-quarter profit rose 16% as the world's largest online retailer as sales of electronics products such as its Kindle electronic reader surged. Revenue jumped 39% from a year earlier to $7.56 billion.