Amazon impacts Baton Rouge economy; pushes businesses to grow
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Amazon is fast-tracking its economic development with new jobs and training.
'Our starting wage in our facility in Baton Rouge ranges from $17.50 an hour to a little bit above that, especially for our team members who are coming on a night shift or weekend shift,' said Regional Leader and Senior Economic Development Manager at Amazon, Jessica Breaux. 'The really cool thing I think is they get benefits on their very first day in employment.'
It's one of the biggest names in global commerce, but in Baton Rouge, Amazon is building more than just distribution centers. President of the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge, Gregory Wood, said it's building a support system for businesses to grow.
'BTR1 was the location of the old Cortana Mall, and during that time, that particular area was seeing some decline in business licenses and other businesses supporting the surrounding area,' said Wood.
Although there are a lot of great businesses in the Baton Rouge area, Wood believes other businesses should take note of what Amazon is doing for their employees.
'I think what people need to understand, and look at, is what Amazon is offering their employees, and I think existing businesses need to take note of what Amazon is doing to lure employees into their workforce as well,' said Wood.
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