WORKFORCE

Amazon is about to put down some new roots in New York City — and is hunting for new employees to support the operation.  

UPS is ramping up its holiday workforce.   The company plans to hire approximately 95,000 seasonal employees to support an anticipated increase in package shipments during the 2017 holiday shopping season. UPS expects increased delivery volume to span between early November and January 2018.    This marks the fourth straight year that UPS is hiring this number of employees for the holiday season, according to Reuters.   

Walmart is bucking the holiday hiring trend again this year.    Unlike other competitors that are hiring thousands of temporary workers to service shoppers during the holiday season, the discount giant plans to offer extra hours to its current associates. These shifts will staff traditional roles like cashier and stocker, and newly created technology-empowered positions, such as personal shoppers and Pickup associates, according to Walmart.  

Walmart is changing the way it stocks merchandise in its small-format Neighborhood Market Stores.     In a blog on its website, the discounter announced that in more than 430 of its Neighborhood Market stores that are already closed overnight, it is shifting overnight stocking hours to the daytime and using technology to make the inventory management process easier. The retailer said it initially piloted day-stocking in 50 stores in and around the Tampa and Dallas areas with "very encouraging" results. 

Fewer stores translates into reduced holiday hiring for Macy's this year.   Macy's plans to hire a total of 80,000 workers for the holiday rush, down from about 83,000 last year. The company has been closing underperforming stores and currently operates some 70 fewer stores than it did last year.  

Early signs from retailers indicate a hot job market for workers this holiday season.    Despite store closures and consolidation within the industry, retailers are signaling that there might be high demand for seasonal jobs, according to a forecast from global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.   

Target associates are using new devices to complete their daily tasks.    After using iPod Touches for the last three years to manage stock, pull items, and handle other essential sales floor duties, Target is now putting Android devices into its associates’ hands, according to Gizmodo.   

Target Corp. announced a major investment for the holiday shopping season.    The discounter said it plans to hire approximately 100,000 employees for the upcoming holiday season, which is up about 40%.    Additionally, Target will hire 4,500 workers at the company’s distribution and fulfillment centers to replenish products to stores and fulfill digital sales throughout the season.