UPS to hire 100,000 seasonal employees

Jumping into a tight labor market, parcel delivery giant UPS Inc. will hire more than 100,000 seasonal employees to serve the 2023 holiday rush, including seasonal delivery drivers, commercial driver’s license (CDL) drivers, and package handlers, the company said.

To attract those workers, Atlanta-based UPS is using a streamlined, digital application process, saying nearly 80% of seasonal positions do not require an interview, and most people can spend less than 20 minutes to go from filling out an online application to receiving a job offer.

That could help in a competitive job market with unemployment near a 50-year low of 3.8% and other large logistics employers chasing some of the same workers. The U.S. Postal Service plans to hire 10,000 seasonal workers, and e-tailer Amazon says it will hire 250,000.

Likewise, contract logistics provider Geodis said it plans to hire 3,000 people for seasonal peak work, saying it offers competitive compensation, peak premium pay incentives, and peak and referral bonuses. The company is also sweetening the pot with flexible schedules and an expedited payment option of up to 50% of the total paycheck before pay day through an on-demand program for employees.

UPS says it will also compete for labor by offering competitive wages and multiple shifts, and handing out permanent positions for those who apply early. Most of the jobs will be full- and part-time seasonal positions. The company did not cite specific pay rates, but those wages may be as high as they are because UPS in July dodged a strike by boosting pay, under the terms of a five-year Teamsters Union contract covering some 340,000 warehouse workers and package delivery truck drivers. 

But UPS was not the only company flashing attractive paychecks to woo workers, as Amazon also pointed to its terms of employment. “Whether someone is looking for a short-term way to make extra money, or is hoping to take their first step toward a fulfilling and rewarding career at Amazon, there’s a role available for them,” John Felton, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, said in a release. “A fulfillment or transportation employee who starts with us today will see a 13% increase in pay over the next three years—likely more, including our annual wage investments—and that’s on top of offerings like pre-paid college tuition with Career Choice and heath care benefits on day one.”

However, despite Amazon’s messaging, workers just yesterday launched a strike for better wages at one of the company’s California hubs. According to the Teamsters Union, they are demanding a pay increase, safer working conditions, and the right to a witness at meetings with management.