Royal Mail will be hiring 10,000 more temporary Christmas workers than usual this year as demand for the postal service is expected to be high due to the pandemic.
This Christmas 33,000 temporary jobs will be available at Royal Mail, including its centres in Tyneside, Durham and Gateshead.
Extra demand for parcels and online shopping due to lockdown restrictions has led to more staff being required for the October to January period, Royal Mail said.
In England, 13,000 mail centre sorting posts will be available.
Additional workers will also be required for Royal Mail’s new Covid-19 testing kit collection team.
Royal Mail has been recruiting festive temporary workers since the Second World War.
Chief HR officer Sally Ashford said: “During these unprecedented times we believe it is critical that Royal Mail continues to deliver.
“We want to do our best to deliver Christmas for our customers and support the effort on the pandemic.
“This helps the whole country to celebrate and stay safe during these difficult times.”
