SEATTLE: January 04, 2017. Amazon reports its 'Fulfillment by Amazon' (FBA) service delivered more than two billion items for its marketplace sellers in 2016.

The company said FBA items shipped worldwide grew more than 50 percent during last year's holiday season while Amazon Prime members ordered millions of items from its Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program that offers free two-day or next-day shipping.

"2016 was a record-breaking year in sales worldwide for sellers on Amazon," said Marketplace vice president Pater Faricy. "In fact, according to our economic studies, sellers have created over 600,000 new jobs outside of Amazon."

The company said sellers from more than 130 countries fulfilled orders to customers in 185 countries
 while units shipped under the FBA program rose 80 percent.

During 2016 the SFP program added six million Prime items for delivery in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany and Japan while 
sellers that reached UK$100,000 in sales grew 30 percent.

Amazon Business generated more than US$1 billion in sales in its first year and now serves more than 400,000 customers in the U.S. as well as in Germany, its first international expansion. The Amazon Lending program, that offers business loans to invited sellers, grew sales by an estimated US$4 billion, according to the company.

In a related development, Amazon will open a second fulfillment center in Jacksonville, Florida covering one million sq. ft. The facility will add more than 1,000 full-time jobs to an existing number of 4,000 full-time employees in the state.

Cissy Proctor, executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity commented: "Amazon's expansion to the Jacksonville area is a great opportunity for North Florida job seekers to get a job in Florida's competitive logistics industry."

During the past three years, Amazon has opened multiple facilities in Florida including four fulfillment centers, two sort centers as well as 'Prime Now' hubs in Miami, Tampa and Orlando.

In addition to an employee benefits package that includes healthcare, a 401(k) plan, company stock awards, maternity and parental leave, the company also offers to pre-pay 95 percent of tuition fees for its full-time staff. Amazon said that since the program's launch four years ago, over 7,000 employees in 10 countries have pursued degrees that include game design and visual communications, nursing, IT and radiology.