Amazon, UPS Beat Holiday Hiring Stampede by Announcing New Job Openings  

Labor Landscape

Pittsburgh, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) -- Amazon and United Parcel Service Inc. each want to hire 2,000 workers in advance of the holiday shopping season for distribution centers in Western Pennsylvania, the company said this month.   

Workers looking for full-time employment and part-time seasonal jobs with the competing major shipping and delivery companies can earn at least $18 an hour with access to benefits at Amazon, while UPS will pay starting wages of $21 per hour for package handlers and $23 per hour for seasonal drivers.  

Amazon has four delivery stations, two sorting centers and two fulfillment centers in Western Pennsylvania, including the inbound cross dock warehouse at its new 1.1 –million square foot facility in New Stanton, said  Sam Stephenson, an Amazon spokesman.  Amazon is looking to add 8,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, the company said.   

Workers will also have opportunities for jobs at UPS distribution centers at its warehouse in New Stanton, as well as facilities on Pittsburgh’s North Side, and ones near Crafton, Rochester and Washington, Pa.    “We are looking for seasonal workers and have plenty of open jobs,’’ said Tom Farrell, a UPS spokesman. The seasonal hiring at UPS comes after UPS eliminated about 200 jobs in April from its New Stanton warehouse when it ended its daytime package sorting operations.  

“These seasonal hiring figures bode well for an active holiday shopping season,’’ said Robert Strauss, a professor of economics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University. “But it is going to be difficult for the economy as the presidential election looms and the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East continue to simmer, ‘’ said Strauss.  

Retail industry analysts also said that the fact the dock workers came back to the job makes the holiday season more positive as supply chain cycles will remain stable through the peak holiday rush.  

Still, UPS said it looks to hire 125,000 seasonal employees nationwide, while Amazon wants to hire 250,000 seasonal workers across the nation, the companies reported.   

 FedEx  Corp., which has facilities in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, continues to hire for operational positions needed at various location, said Allie Addoms, a Fed Ex spokeswoman. The company declined to say how many seasonal  employees it wants to hire.  

 The National Retail Federation (NRF) sees growth in its forecast for online sales during the 2024 hpliday  shopping season. NRF projects total holiday sales in 2024 will grow between 2.5 percent and 3.5 percent over 2023.   

Atlanta-based shipping company UPS forecasts holiday delivery of about 750 million packages. UPS also expects to ship more than 30 million packages everyday for 17 of the 21 shipping days before Christmas.  

 Amazon expects to deliver 1.5 billion packages during the Christmas season.  

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