Walmart seeks to hire 20,000 supply chain workers

Walmart said the positions it is filling are permanent jobs – not just seasonal help – including full-time and part-time roles. Positions include order fillers, material handlers, lift drivers, technicians and management positions. The average salary for its supply chain employees is $ 20.37 per hour.

“As our business continues to evolve to meet the needs of today’s customers, it is more important than ever to have a strong supply chain,” the company said in a statement. Walmart is the nation’s largest private sector employer with 1.6 million U.S. workers as of Jan.31 of this year, according to a regulatory filing.

Competition for warehouse workers was already stiff before the pandemic, with stores adding jobs to their warehouses and logistics networks as more customers order online.

Just over half of retailers said they had “significant challenges” in hiring warehouse workers, according to an Aug. 4 survey of more than 80 big box, grocery, drugstore and clothing chains by executive search firm Korn Ferry. This compares to 35% who said they had such difficulty hiring employees at staff stores.

Walmart has announced plans to hold special hiring events on September 8 and 9 to fill these positions. Even with Walmart’s ability to offer attractive salaries and benefits, including a free tuition offer announced last month, it will be difficult to fill warehouse positions, experts say.

“The demand for distribution center workers continues to skyrocket,” said Craig Rowley, senior customer partner at Korn Ferry specializing in retail. “Everyone who wants to work in a distribution center already has a job. “