Job consultancy Challenger Gray & Christmas expects retailers to add over 700,000 jobs for the holiday season. Nearly half of these jobs will be offered by two retailers that are hiring the most people for the holiday — Amazon and Walmart.
But retail holiday hiring is going to be challenging this year. Labor shortages and the need to pay people higher wages than in years past have changed the retail employment landscape. Can retailers find the people they need and post spectacular results for the final quarter of the year?
The National Retail Federation expects total dollar sales to rise by as much as 10.5% compared to 2020. That is an increase of up to $859 billion. NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay explained, “There is considerable momentum heading into the holiday shopping season.” With rising incomes and strong household balance sheets, according to Shay, “consumers are in a very favorable position” heading into the holiday season.
In addition, “Retailers are making significant investments in their supply chains and spending heavily to ensure they have products on their shelves to meet this time of exceptional consumer demand,” Shay said.
In order to hire enough seasonal workers, retailers plan to use several tactics. The New York Times reports that these include higher wages, signing bonuses, and even college tuition contributions. Jeff Gennette, the chief executive of Macy’s, told the paper, “there is a war for talent on the front lines.” (This is America’s worst retailer.)
The 2021 holiday season represents a needed rebound for the entire industry, which suffered brutal sales declines in 2020. This probably hastened the shuttering of locations of J.C. Penney and Sears but also forced retailers to strengthen their balance sheets to survive a period of plunging revenue.
While the pendulum of profitable retail operations has swung to e-commerce, led by Amazon, millions of people still visit traditional stores. And e-commerce has boosted another industry. UPS, FedEx, and the U.S. Postal System move many products bought online and sent to homes and businesses.
To determine the companies hiring the most people for the holidays, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed press releases about the anticipated season hires planned by America’s largest retailers and package deliverers. Companies without specific figures were not considered.
Two retailers will add 150,000 seasonal employees each. They are, incidentally, the largest retailers in America: Amazon and Walmart. UPS is next, planning to hire 100,000 seasonal workers. (Speaking of Walmart, this is the state with the most Walmart stores.)
These are the 16 retailers and package deliverers adding the most workers for the holidays
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15. Belk
> Seasonal hiring: 5,000
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14. 800 Flowers
> Seasonal hiring: 10,000
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11. Burlington
> Seasonal hiring: 20,000
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11. Hobby Lobby
> Seasonal hiring: 20,000
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11. Michaels
> Seasonal hiring: 20,000
10. Nordstrom
> Seasonal hiring: 28,600
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9. U.S. Postal Service
> Seasonal hiring: 40,000
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8. Gap
> Seasonal hiring: 65,000
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7. Macy’s
> Seasonal hiring: 76,000
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5. FedEx
> Seasonal hiring: 90,000
5. Kohl’s
> Seasonal hiring: 90,000
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3. Target
> Seasonal hiring: 100,000
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3. UPS
> Seasonal hiring: 100,000
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1. Amazon
> Seasonal hiring: 150,000
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1. Walmart
> Seasonal hiring: 150,000
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