Mercado Libre to Hire 6,000 Workers in Brazil

Latin American e-commerce giant Mercado Libre is set to hire another 6,000 people in Brazil this year, as online retailing becomes ubiquitous in the South American country amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

As of December last year, fewer than 5,000 Brazilians worked for Libre. However, by the end of June this year, the headcount had exceeded 10,000. The new round of recruitment will take the company’s total headcount in Brazil to 16,000.

The retailer is looking to fill a range of positions, including finance experts, IT workers, and warehouse managers.

The Argentinean tech unicorn, which reported US$1.7 billion in revenue for the three months period between April and June this year, is facing tough completion from its US rival Amazon.

Earlier this year, Amazon introduced same-day delivery in Brazil, forcing other players in the market to follow suit. In response, Mercado announced an investment of US$2 billion, saying it would build more warehouses and distribution centers across Brazil.

With more than 105 million online shoppers, Brazil has grown into the largest market for e-commerce in Latin America. Here, Mercado’s other competitors are Magazine Luiza, Viavarejo, and Lojas Americanas.