Oct 13 (Reuters) - Amazon ( AMZN ) said it plans to hire

250,000 workers for the holiday season across its fulfillment

and transportation networks in the U.S., the same number as the

last two years, as the e-commerce behemoth prepares for a surge

in orders.

The announcement on Monday, however, comes amid concerns

that U.S. shoppers will be cautious about spending in this

holiday season as they brace from the impact of President Donald

Trump's tariff policies.

Data firm Adobe Analytics last week projected U.S. holiday

online sales to grow at a slower pace this year, but e-commerce

are still expected to outshine overall sales growth.

Trump's latest tariffs on Chinese imports will have

limited impact on holiday sales as most of the inventory is

already in the country.

Amazon ( AMZN ) will hire full-time and part-time employees at

$23 per hour with benefits, while seasonal workers will earn an

average wage of over $19 per hour, it said.

The company had last month said it is investing more

than

$1 billion

to raise pay and lower healthcare costs for U.S.

fulfillment and transportation employees.

Retailers have issued mixed outlooks ahead of the holiday

season, with Target and Best Buy maintaining their annual

forecasts, and Walmart and Macy's raising theirs.