Walmart plans to begin hiring for 150,000 positions as the retailer gears up for the holiday season, the majority of which will be permanent, according to a release from the company Wednesday.
The hiring will bolster the company’s in-store, delivery and pickup operations ahead of what is expected to be another tumultuous holiday shopping season as U.S. companies continue to deal with supply chain and labor issues.
Walmart also recently announced that it would hire an additional 20,000 employees in supply chain roles.
Walmart has implemented three wage increases this year as businesses have struggled to staff up amid the ongoing pandemic. It now provides an average wage of more than $16 an hour as well as benefits like paid college tuition and textbooks for employees.
Though average pay across all staff is higher, the company’s wages start at $12 an hour — lagging behind many of its competitors, including Target, Amazon and Costco, which pay at least $15 an hour.
Despite the hiring push, Walmart said in a statement that it still plans to make extra holiday hours available to existing employees who want to work them.
Over the summer, Walmart began experimenting with an all-self-checkout Supercenter in Plano, where its cashiers are now referred to by the company as “customer hosts.”
