BENTONVILLE, ARK. — Walmart, a Bentonville-based discount retailer, has released plans to hire approximately 150,000 new store associates, with most of the job positions being permanent and full-time. The retailer wants to hire new employees ahead of the holiday season to ensure its stores are highly staffed for the predicted busy months.
This July, the discount retailer announced it will invest approximately $1 billion over the next five years to pay college tuition and books for employees via its education program called Live Better U. Walmart also offers an average hourly wage of $16.40, with some jobs at the stores paying as much as $34 an hour. Other benefits include on-the-job and classroom training, affordable health insurance, a 10 percent discount on general merchandise and food for associates, as well as paid time off, no-cost counseling, 401(k) and parental leave.
This hiring news follows the announcement the retailer made at the beginning of September in which Walmart planned to hire 20,000 new supply-chain employees in order to keep up with the company’s recent revenue growth. The company saw an increase of 2.4 percent year-over-year in revenue in its fiscal second quarter of 2021, which ended on July 31. The company planned to hire employees in more than 250 Walmart and Sam’s Club distribution and fulfillment centers.