BENTONVILLE, Ark.—Walmart is hiring more than 50,000 workers in the U.S. during the first quarter for its stores, clubs, campuses and supply chain facilities. The retail giant is also opening Global Tech hubs in Atlanta and in Toronto and plans to hire more than 5,000 workers globally this fiscal year for its Global Tech initiative.
Job openings were down in January but were still near record highs, reports Reuters. Walmart's average pay is $16.40 an hour in the United States, and the starting wage goes up to $30 an hour in select roles and markets. Walmart also offers medical coverage starting at $31.40 per pay period in most locations and offers a telehealth option. All employees have access to thousands of fitness locations nationwide starting at $9 per paycheck. Employees also have access to a 401k on day one at Walmart with a dollar-for-dollar company match on contributions up to 6% after one year.
Walmart said it hired 5,500 pharmacists/pharmacy managers in 2021, the highest number in a one-year period, and more than 13,000 pharmacy technicians. Its private fleet is one of the largest in the U.S., according to Walmart, and the company hired nearly 4,500 truck drivers last year, which was a company record.
Walmart says it’s focusing on the last mile, making its stores the “heart” of its last-mile strategy, and the retail giant says its 4,700 stores, which are located within 10 miles of 90% of the U.S. population, are “invaluable parts” of its supply chain. Walmart’s pickup and delivery capacity grew 20% last year, and it plans a 35% increase this year. In 2021, Walmart lifted the number of orders coming from its stores by 170%. That increase leads Walmart to its next phase of store integration and evolution which is its Market Fulfillment Centers.
Walmart is also homing in on delivering convenience to its customers.
“We’ve watched in real time as people foundationally changed their shopping habits, spurred not just by a global pandemic, but by the expectation for availability to also mean convenience,” writes Walmart in a news release. “That need for convenience led to six times the number of customers using delivery in the fourth quarter compared to pre-pandemic levels, signaling a huge change in how our customers shop.”