As the holiday shopping season kicks off, companies nationwide are gearing up to hire extra help to meet customer demands.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over half a million seasonal workers are expected to be hired this year, a figure that falls short of previous years.
But amid the decline, Amazon is taking a proactive approach by planning to hire 250,000 seasonal workers across the U.S., including thousands in New York.
“We were looking to hire flexible positions for people to come join us and help us deliver for customers this holiday season,” said Marc Heintzman, field communications at Amazon.
Amazon’s robust hiring strategy contrasts with other retailers that are scaling back due to economic pressures and a growing shift toward e-commerce. Kevin Alexander, a labor market analyst with New York state Labor Department, noted the decline in retail hiring was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued as consumer preferences evolve.
The rise of online shopping has led to an increase in distribution centers nationwide. Amazon’s network now includes 10 fulfillment centers and 36 delivery stations in New York alone.
“The warehousing sector had about 60,000 jobs last year, three times more than a decade ago,” Alexander added.
Locally, Amazon’s presence in Western New York is expanding as they adapt to industry trends. Steve Hill, site leader at an Amazon Fulfillment Center, highlighted their operations.
“We’re packing and shipping over 2.5 million packages weekly to deliver holiday smiles across the country,” he said.
Despite the challenges, major corporations like UPS and Target are still planning significant seasonal hiring efforts. UPS aims to hire over 125,000 workers, while Target plans for 100,000 new hires.
However, total seasonal job numbers are expected to decline compared to previous years due to economic pressures and changing consumer habits.