By Dave Sebastian

Amazon.com Inc. said it started a program that seeks to hire 1,000 people who have lost or left their jobs over the coming years, the latest in the e-commerce giant's hiring spree.

The company Thursday said it is offering jobs to people who have been without a job or underemployed for at least a year, including those displaced by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, through the Amazon Returnship program.

Amazon said it seeks to hire professionals in various roles, including financial analysts and software-development engineers.

The program includes an initial 16-week paid working opportunity in several areas including operations finance, consumer payments and search, the company said. Amazon said participants will work remotely for the first 16 weeks, working on a specific project before possibly moving into full-time positions.

Amazon said candidates will go through a customized and abbreviated interview process that takes into account their career trajectory, and will receive coaching if they get selected for the program. Participants will receive child and elder care assistance, as well as relocation reimbursement if they accept a permanent role at Amazon, the company said.

The company last month said it was hiring 75,000 workers and offering $1,000 signing bonuses in some locations. Amazon has had a wildly successful year after consumers flocked to online shopping during pandemic lockdowns. The company's profit since the pandemic started has exceeded $26 billion, more than the previous three years combined. Its profit tripled during the first quarter to $8.1 billion.

Write to Dave Sebastian at dave.sebastian@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

06-03-21 0930ET