Our month-by-month highlights included creating good jobs, expanding training for employees, and supporting communities across the U.S. January We launched an effort to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable homes. We’ll do this through a $2 billion Housing Equity Fund in Washington, Virginia, and Tennessee. February Photo by JORDAN STEAD Andy Jassy was announced as Amazon’s next CEO as Jeff Bezos shifted to exec chair of the board. Amazon investments over the past decade have led to the creation of 780,000 indirect jobs across the U.S. March An independent study found Amazon’s pay increase in 2018 (to at least $15/hr.) resulted in a 4.7% increase in the average hourly wage among other employers in the same area. April For shareholders, Jeff Bezos reflected on Amazon’s early days and his hope to create an “enduring franchise.” Photo by LUCAS JACKSON LinkedIn ranked Amazon at No. 1 on its Top Companies 2021 list of the most sought-after places to work. May Amazon’s front-line employees had access to on-site COVID-19 vaccinations, and we offered vaccinations to residents in several communities throughout the year. June Amazon was ranked as the No. 1 investor in America with $34 billion spent on infrastructure in 2020 alone. We committed $150 million to help Black entrepreneurs with access to capital and business guidance. July Amazon added two new Leadership Principles to guide how we lead and innovate: Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer; and Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility. August We began operations at our new Amazon Air Hub and welcomed the first employees who will bring the $1.5 billion investment in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky to life. September Amazon’s Career Day attracted more than 1 million applicants. We offered coaching and training. Amazon launched devices and services to delight our customers including, Astro, our home robot. October We continued to prioritize the well-being of our employees with $15 billion in COVID-related costs. Climate Pledge Arena, the first net-zero carbon certified arena in the world, opened in Seattle. November More than 200 global businesses joined The Climate Pledge to become net-zero carbon by 2040. Among our efforts this year, Amazon helps mobilize $1 billion to save rainforests. December AmazonSmile donated $321 million to charities—from global humanitarian efforts to school PTAs. Over the years, we donated 15 million relief items to support people impacted by natural disasters. Related Tags Company newsInnovationJob creation and investmentWorking at Amazon