Walmart is hiring 20,000 new employees to beef up its warehouse operations as it ramps up for the holiday season, the company said on Wednesday.
But when the shopping crush is over these workers will stay on. The jobs are permanent positions.
The largest retailer in the world is hoping to lure hourly employees with the promise of the permanent jobs at a time when most retailers are looking to hire temporary employees to help them get through their peak season.
The hiring binge comes amidst one of the tightest labor markets in history, as companies struggle to hire enough sales clerks, delivery and logistics workers and are increasingly worried about their ability to sustain their growth, especially when it comes to online shopping.
“Having a robust supply chain is more important than ever,” Walmart Executive Vice President Joe Metzger said in a statement.
Walmart will start recruiting for these jobs at 250 fulfillment centers and Sam’s Club distribution centers — including order fillers, freight handlers, fork lift drivers and management positions — next week.
The openings are for both full-time and part-time positions, for an average wage of $20.37 an hour, the company said.
Still, in a tight labor market where, in some states, workers have enjoyed a federal bump to their unemployment benefits, it’s been difficult to find workers, employers report.
Hiring bonuses, hourly pay increases and other perks have not been enough in many cases to lure hourly employees back to work.
Over the summer, Walmart offered some warehouse workers $1,000 retention bonuses in exchange for showing up to work during their regularly scheduled shifts.
During the height of the pandemic retailers experienced record growth in their e-commerce divisions and Walmart brought on 20,000 seasonal workers at its e-commerce facilities last year.
Meanwhile, its chief rival, Amazon said on Wednesday that it’s hiring 40,000 corporate and technology positions at 220 US location on its recruiting day, Sept. 15.
The online giant is also hiring tens of thousands of hourly workers at its vast network of warehouses.
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