The online retail giant has also said it will increase pay for staff in the UK, the USA and Europe.

Amazon, which has seen its delivery systems come under pressure due to the surge in online orders due to people staying at home, has said it is calling on people from the restaurant, travel and entertainment industries who may now be out of work because of the outbreak to make up a substantial proportion of new recruits.

Senior vice president of operations Dave Clark said: “We want those people to know we welcome them on our teams until things return to normal and their past employer is able to bring them back.”