Amazon will create 7,000 permanent jobs in the UK by the end of the year, the American e-commerce giant announced in a boost to Britain's virus-hit economy.

“The company will add a further 7,000 new permanent roles by the end of 2020 across more than 50 sites, including corporate offices and two new fulfillment centres,” Amazon said in a statement.

Its total permanent UK workforce will number more than 40,000, up by a third in just one year as the pandemic triggers a surge in online shopping, according to AFP.

While several British retailers have together axed thousands of jobs following the country's virus lockdown, others including supermarket giant Tesco are creating vast amounts of roles to cope with booming online demand.