Publix to boost workforce by 30,000

Through the end of this year, Publix Super Markets aims to hire about 30,000 associates across its seven-state Southeastern market area.

Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix said Monday that the fourth-quarter hiring drive includes non-seasonal jobs in its stores, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities.

“As we continue to grow, having a dedicated team ready to meet our needs is vitally important,” Marcy Benton, vice president of human resources at Publix, said in a statement. “Whether associates are new to the workforce or making a career change, Publix provides great benefits and a strong culture in which its associates build long, fulfilling careers.”

The nation’s largest employee-owned company, Publix has more than 225,000 employees and operates 1,283 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. The retailer also operates nine distribution centers (seven in Florida and one apiece in Georgia and Alabama) as well as 11 manufacturing plants (bakery, dairy, fresh foods, deli kitchen and printing services) in Florida and Georgia.

Besides employee stock ownership and purchase plans, Publix offers comprehensive health and wellness benefits, an overall well-being program and tuition reimbursement, the company noted. Also, associates who get a COVID-19 vaccination receive a $125 Publix gift card.

Related:Walmart to add 150,000 store workers in holiday hiring push

Publix marks the latest grocery retailer to announce a hiring push, as companies prepare for the holiday season and compete for workers amid a national labor shortage and elevated consumer demand in the food retail sector due to COVID-19.

Heading into the holidays, Walmart last week unveiled plans to add 150,000 more workers — just weeks after announcing it aims to hire another 20,000 associates in supply chain positions — while Target Corp. last month said it plans to hire 100,000 seasonal workers as well as offer 5 million more hours to current staff, lifting pay by over $75 million. Earlier, Amazon announced it aims to create another 125,000 local job opportunities across the United States, and The Kroger Co. Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen told CNBC that the company has about 20,000 job openings and is “aggressively hiring anywhere we can.”

Also, Aldi U.S. held a National Hiring Week from Sept. 20 to 24 to help the fast-expanding discount grocer add more than 20,000 new store and warehouse employees. Other supermarket retailers holding hiring events include Albertsons Cos., Schnuck Markets and Bashas’, among others. Last month, Hy-Vee said it’s looking to hire 2,000 full- and part-time pharmacy technicians amid increased demand for health care services due to COVID-19.

Related:A post-Labor Day reflection on grocery jobs in our evolving industry