Walmart to Hire 40,000 Seasonal Workers for the Holidays, a Decline From Last Year
Walmart plans to hire fewer workers than last year for its 2022 holiday season.
The big-box retailer on Wednesday announced a goal to hire 40,000 new associates — both seasonal and full-time — in roles across stores, delivery, customer service and truck driving. In April, Walmart rolled out a truck driver training program and said drivers can now make up to $110,000 in their first year with the company, with the chance to earn even more over time.
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The hiring goals fall short of last year’s, when Walmart said it was looking to hire 150,000 employees for mainly long-term roles meant for the holidays and beyond, as well 20,000 associates for supply chain roles. Like other retailers, Walmart last year was looking to meet staffing targets amid a labor shortage.
According to Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, the lower holiday number represents “the latest signal that the retail sector is going through a weaker period following the boom of 2021.”
Walmart said that the average wage for supply chain associates is $20.37 per hour and its average U.S. hourly wage is $17 an hour. In June, Walmart raised wages to more than $20 an hour for its more than 36,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacy technicians.
In August, Walmart said it would cut hundreds of corporate roles after the retailer slashed its outlook for Q2 as consumer spending softened, especially in discretionary categories like apparel.
Kohl’s has also announced its hiring goals for 2022 and plans to hire about 90,000 seasonal employees for the holiday season this year, on par with its goals from last year.
Holiday sales are likely to increase this year, although at a slower pace than in 2021, according to Deloitte’s annual holiday retail forecast. The report found that holiday sales will total $1.45 trillion to $1.47 trillion during the November to January timeframe, growing between 4% and 6% over last year.
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