Hundreds of North American cities vie for new Amazon HQ

More than 230 cities across North America have applied to be the home of Amazon’s new headquarters.

The e-commerce giant, which is currently based in Seattle, is looking to build a “second HQ”, in which it would invest $5bn (£3.8bn) and hire as many as 50,000 people.

A map published by the company reveals it has received 238 proposals from all but seven US states, as well as Canada, Mexico and the US territory of Puerto Rico, which last month was devastated by hurricanes. Cities competing for the new HQ include Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Newark and Toronto.

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According to the BBC, “locations are vying on factors such as workforce talent, tax breaks, and proximity to an international airport”, with politicians desperate to attract the economic engine to their home town.

Amazon’s decision to build a second North American base comes after it has enjoyed a surge in growth over the past 12 months. More than 40% of all online transactions in the US are now conducted through Amazon, briefly propelling its chief executive Jeff Bezos to the top of the world’s rich list.

A decision on the new location is expected early next near