ATLANTA (AP) — United Parcel Service said Wednesday it plans to hire more than 100,000 extra workers to help handle an increase in packages during the holiday season.
In a statement Wednesday, UPS expects a record peak season in part due to the pandemic. Online shopping has been growing for years, and the pandemic has given it an extra boost as some shoppers avoid going to stores.
Volume of packages for delivery usually rises starting in October and runs through January.
The Atlanta-based company said it will have full-time and part-time seasonal jobs, mostly package handlers, drivers and driver helpers. UPS touts the seasonal jobs as ones that can lead to year-round employment, saying that over the last three years, about 35% of people for seasonal package-handling jobs wound up in permanent positions.
FedEx said last week it plans to hire up to 70,000 seasonal workers, a big jump from 55,000 last year.
Both delivery giants have seen a boom in residential deliveries since lockdowns kept consumers out of stores, and fear of contracting the virus has limited their shopping trips. More lucrative deliveries to businesses have declined, however. The residential deliveries are most costly too, because they tend to be more spread out.