Holiday Hiring Across Logistics Looks Very Similar to 2023

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Logistics staffing isn’t expected to budge much this holiday season, with two of the largest sprawling retail and distribution operations in the U.S. planning to hire the same number of workers for the peak period that they did in 2023.

Amazon unveiled earlier this month that it is bringing in 250,000 full-time, part-time, and seasonal roles across its U.S. customer fulfillment and transportation operations. Like Target, that is the same hiring total as the holiday 2023 numbers.

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For Amazon, the lateral move comes as the company is shelling out more money this year, with average base pay for U.S. warehouse workers increasing to an average of more than $22 an hour, up from roughly $20.50 an hour. All seasonal employees earn a minimum of $18 per hour. The wider pay increase is an investment of $2.2 billion, the e-commerce giant says.

Target announced in September that it was hiring 100,000 employees to staff its stores and supply chain facilities in the two-month stretch—equaling the temporary workers the retailer brought in during the three years prior.

One of the only major logistics businesses increasing headcount over last year is UPS, which is hiring more than 125,000 seasonal workers, up from the roughly 100,000 that were signed on as full- and part-time delivery drivers, truck drivers and package handlers last year. Hourly pay is at $21 for package handlers and driver helpers and $23 for delivery and tractor-trailer drivers.

The UPS total surpasses the 100,000 holiday workers hired in 2023, which was the first year after the company secured a new five-year contract for 340,000 union employees.

According to the parcel delivery company, the uptick in hiring was a decision made ahead of what will be a shorter period between Black Friday and Christmas, with four fewer operating days in the season than last year.

In an earnings call in July, UPS CEO Carol Tomé said the company is expecting the highest-ever volume in its network on Dec. 18, and already planned to implement new demand surcharges ahead of the crunch.

“When you have that kind of volume flowing to your network, you actually have to charge to service them well, because you have to hire people and lease aircraft and delivery vehicles,” Tomé said.

UPS’ move also comes months after the company cleared out some year-round staff to start 2024, laying off 12,000 employees and freeing up more room to pay temporary workers.