PHOTO COURTESY UPS
Oct. 6, 2020 (Courtesy of the Jacksonville Business Journal) UPS is preparing for another “record peak holiday” shipping season but will be sticking with roughly the same seasonal hiring surge as usual.
United Parcel Service Inc. said Wednesday it expects to hire “over 100,000 seasonal employees” — a slight uptick from the 100,000 in 2019 and 2018 — to support the anticipated annual increase in package volume that begins in October and should continue through January 2021.
While its overall seasonal outlook remains level, UPS has already added jobs this year, hiring 39,000 permanent employees nationwide in the second quarter. The union jobs are in operations (sortation/loading) and also drivers, according to spokesperson Glenn Zaccara.
Rival shipping giant, Memphis-based FedEx Corp., announced plans last week to bump its seasonal workforce to about 70,000, a 27% increase from last year. FedEx did not have area hiring numbers available.
A majority of UPS’ full- and part-time seasonal positions are for package handlers, drivers, driver-helpers and personal vehicle drivers. Hourly pay can range from $14.50 to $21 an hour. The Atlanta-based logistics giant often eyes college students for these roles, offering a program that provides an up to $1,300 bonus for school expenses, plus tuition assistance.
Charlene Thomas, UPS’ chief human resources officer, said the coronavirus pandemic makes UPS’ services “more important than ever” and anticipates a “large number” of workers will move into permanent roles after the holidays. UPS has a strong track record in that regard, with about one-third of its U.S. workforce converting from seasonal jobs into permanent roles.