United Parcel Service will hire 100,000 seasonal workers at hundreds of locations in the United States ahead of this year's Christmas and New Year holidays. The new workers will sort, move and deliver packages during a period when the courier companies' daily volume usually doubles, Reuters reported.
Seasonal assignments usually increase from late November to early January. UPS says it offers flexible shifts, and for some candidates there is an opportunity to transition to permanent employment. The company also says that many candidates can receive a job offer in less than seven minutes.
“Peak season is one of the most critical times of the year for deliveries, and no one does it better than UPS,“ said Matt Guffey, the company's chief operating officer.UPS is ready to meet demand during a time when network traffic is at its highest. The company expects the holiday season to begin to have a major impact on processing and delivery in late November.
Hiring follows layoffs
The seasonal hiring plan comes as UPS is shrinking its permanent workforce. In January, the company announced plans to cut up to 30,000 operational positions by 2026 and close 24 locations.
The moves are part of a shift in UPS's strategy to reduce shipments from Amazon, its largest customer. The carrier is seeking to reduce its reliance on those shipments and shift resources to more profitable areas.
The simultaneous cuts in permanent positions and hiring of seasonal workers reflect different business needs. The permanent network is being restructured according to expected volumes during the year, while temporary staff must absorb the short-term increase in shipments around the holidays.
Seasonal employees will be engaged mainly during the holiday peak, which for the courier sector traditionally ends in early January.
Sources: reuters.com, businesswire.com, apnews.com