Walmart plans to hire 40K workers for holiday season and beyond

Walmart on Wednesday said it intends to hire approximately 40,000 additional workers to fill seasonal and full-time roles as the holidays approach.

Those new hires will include seasonal store associates to help with in-store, pickup and delivery orders; full-time, permanent truck drivers; and customer care workers to ensure there’s a “knowledgeable, friendly voice on the other end of the line in our customer call centers this season,” Walmart said.

The number is impressive, but it’s a significant drop from a year ago, when the retail giant said it planned to hire 150,000 workers ahead of the holiday season for largely permanent, full-time positions. And that announcement came just weeks after Walmart said it would hire 20,000 new supply-chain workers for its distribution and fulfillment centers.

Walmart said it will begin the hiring push by offering extra hours to current part-time workers who want them.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer said its U.S. average wage is more than $17 an hour and that the company has raised pay in many areas in recent months.

The company also noted that 75% of all salaried managers at Walmart began their careers at the company as hourly associates, including CEO Doug McMillon and Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner.

“We have a long history of promoting from within, and I’m proud that it continues to be a core part of our culture,” said Maren Waggoner, Walmart’s SVP of field people, in a statement.

In an attempt to compete for workers in a tight labor market, Walmart also noted that its medical coverage starts at just over $31 per paycheck; it offers paid sick leave; and qualifying workers can participate in a matching 401K program and associate stock purchase plan match.