Amazon to create 1000 technology jobs in UK

Amazon announced on Friday it would hire 1,000 new technology, research and other skilled workers by 2019 in the UK in a move designed to give the country “a leading role in global innovation”.

The company will open a new office in Manchester where it will house at least 600 new employees working on software research and it will grow its existing development centres in Cambridge and Edinburgh where it will add 180 and 250 new roles in each city respectively.

Doug Gurr, Amazon's UK country manager, said the new roles were "Silicon Valley jobs in Britain and further cement our long-term commitment to the UK. It's all about investment in really great people."

Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox has praised Amazon’s decision to expand operations in the UK at a time when Brexit uncertainty is causing foreign business to move out of the country.

"Ensuring that the world's best and brightest companies continue to invest and innovate in the UK is at the heart of our global Britain agenda," Fox said..

"Amazon's decision to create hundreds of highly-skilled jobs in Manchester, Edinburgh and Cambridge is an enormous vote of confidence in the UK."

Earlier this month, the company announced it would be increasing the minimum wage in its warehouses, but at the same time it would be ceasing bonuses.