(Bloomberg)—Amazon.com Inc. will hire 100,000 people — and give U.S. workers a $2 an hour raise in an effort to meet crushing demand from customers placing online orders for household essentials rather than going to crowded stores.

Amazon has had difficulty meeting demand triggered by the coronavirus outbreak. The company warned customers March 2 that orders were backlogged since demand outstripped its delivery capacity, and a technical glitch on Sunday further delayed orders from Whole Foods Markets and other Amazon services.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Amazon and our network of partners are helping communities around the world in a way that very few can—delivering critical supplies directly to the doorsteps of people who need them,” Amazon executive Dave Clark said Monday in a blog post. “Getting a priority item to your doorstep is vital as communities practice social-distancing, particularly for the elderly and others with underlying health issues. We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year.”

News of the hiring was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal.

Amazon is No. 1 in the 2019 Digital Commerce 360 Top 1000.