The world’s largest online retailer says the jobs will range from software development to warehouse work.

As it builds new distribution centres the number of people it employees in the US will rise by 50 percent over the next 18 months.

We're pleased to announce that @amazon will be hiring 100,000 new employees over the next 18 months: https://t.co/GOgHyVfite #Jobs pic.twitter.com/wRlMFpRVUn

— Amazon Policy (@amazon_policy) 12 gennaio 2017

It is the latest company to tout job creation in the states since Donald Trump won the presidential election in November.

Trump had criticised Amazon in the past saying it does not pay its fair share of taxes.

A spokesman for Trump’s transition team gave the president-elect partial credit for the announcement.

“The president-elect met with heads of several of the tech companies and urged them to keep their jobs and production inside the United States,” spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters. (Euronews)