Walmart to Add Another 50k Employees, Require Associates to Wear Masks
Updated: Apr 22, 2020
Retail Dive | April 20, 2020
After a recent hiring blitz, the retailer said it would hire an additional 50,000 associates to meet consumer demand, according to a press release. Primarily temporary, the hiring is planned for the retailer's stores, clubs, fulfillment and distribution centers. Walmart said it has hired roughly 5,000 people a day since the third week of March, hitting a goal of 150,000 new employees early. The retailer on Friday also said it would require employees at corporate offices, stores, clubs, distribution and fulfillment centers to wear face coverings at work.
Walmart said it will prioritize hiring workers with backgrounds in restaurants and hospitality — industries that are being hit the hardest during this period. "We know millions of Americans who are usually employed at this time are temporarily out of work, and at the same time we're currently seeing strong demand in our stores," Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in a statement.