In preparation for the 2022 holiday season and the attendant shopping sprees, Walmart announced plans Wednesday to hire 40,000 mostly seasonal workers.
Last year, however, the company added 150,000 workers, most of those being full-time employees, along with another 20,000 to help with the company’s national supply chains.
First, however, current Walmart employees will have the opportunity to pick up extra hours during the holiday season.
“We’ll begin, as usual, by offering additional hours to current associates who want them … After that, we’ll offer the opportunity for those who want to earn extra money working on a temporary basis,” Walmart said.
The 40,000 workers Walmart plans to hire include full-time truck drivers, customer service representatives for their call centers, and seasonal associates for both in-store shopping as well as pickup and delivery.
“To help busy families focus on what matters most this season, we’ll be welcoming approximately 40,000 additional associates in a variety of seasonal and full-time roles across our business,” Walmart announced.
The significant year-over-year disparity in the amount of holiday help hired by Walmart shows the impact inflation is having on consumers and their shopping habits.
While prices have increased for many products, including food, Walmart is optimistic about consumer demand this holiday season.
“There’s a lot of customer demand still in the market. We’re still optimistic that the customer’s in a strong position,” John Furner, head of Walmart’s U.S. unit, told Bloomberg News.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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