Don't know what to make of this. Is Amazon really a great place to work at, or is the economy in a really bad spot and that many people still don't have adequate employment? I mean $15hr ain't much money even with benefits It's decent to start though, and I know it's low skilled work. But still. 200k plus applicants? Makes you think that there are many Americans who are having difficulty. Wait until the economoy really crashes. Hopefully it doesn't happen.
Have known a few folks who worked at a local Fulfillment Center (FC) back in 2014 or so. A few points:
1). If you're talking about an FC, then no, it really isn't that good of a place to work.
2). Applicants may be previous employees that worked there seasonally. Amazon jacks up their pay starting in . . . November? Ish? And the pay increase lasts until January. Pay for this time period can easily exceed $17/hr depending on local conditions and what jobs you take (used to be, pick and pack got paid the most, but that may change at some point). If you are a college student or an "unskilled laborer" working in a moderate-to-high turnover industry, it can make sense to take a break from your current employer to hit up Amazon for 3-4 months of work at inflated wages. Amazon will shed almost everyone their hire for peak.
Amazon's turnover rate at their FCs is stunningly high. The staffing agency will tolerate a lot during the hiring process and quite a bit during peak. You don't really have to hit rate as long as you show up and demonstrate a willingness to do some work. After peak, they'll use rate to cull the slow. They'll also chase off any unwanted felons or other ne'er-do-wells that somehow "accidentally" got offered positions anyway. The rest get offered full-time positions (if you refuse one, the staffing agency will try to get rid of you). Long-term full time employees are offered progressively-higher bonuses to quit each year after peak.
Unless you're crazy, you don't use Amazon FC jobs as a form of long-term employment. It's too chaotic and messy. Try not to look at seasonal Amazon positions as an indicator of job demand. Taking a pack position over peak on night shift is a bit like swilling an energy drink. It'll give you a quick shot of high wages and long hours (hope you like 12-hour overtime shifts), but once it's over, you will crash. Then it's back to the real world.