Walmart Plans to Expand Employee Base Before the Winter Festivals

Walmart said it plans to hire 20,000 employees to help keep merchandise moving ahead of the scheduled holiday shopping rush. The average wage for a supply chain associate is $20.37 per hour. The company also said that the hiring events would start on September 8 and 9.

The nation’s largest employer said the roles would be in the supply chain. The jobs will be a combination of full-time and part-time but will be permanent positions. They will range from order fillers to freight handlers at the companies with more than 250 distribution centers, fulfillment centers, and transportation offices.

Walmart is hiring employees as companies bear the fierce competition for workers and Covid-19 outbreaks that have paused the manufacturing and also slowed down shipping. This also to congested ports across the globe. These challenges have translated into delays, out-of-stock items, and higher prices across the industry. Walmart has not yet announced plans for holiday hiring. Last year, the retailer said it would hire 20,000 seasonal associates, the first time in five years it had announced significant holiday hiring.

The company has also ramped up supply chain investments, such as adding high-tech, automated systems to select stores that help pick and pack online grocery orders. The company also said that it is noticing a rise in demand for school supplies, luggage, apparel and more, as consumers flocked back to stores.Chief financial officer Brett Biggs said on a second-quarter earnings call that the company has increased lead times for orders and chartered its own dedicated vessels to speed up imports. He said that out-of-stocks in certain general merchandise categories are running above normal, given strong sales and supply constraints.