Wal-Mart to add about 10,000 jobs
NEW YORK — Wal-Mart plans to add about 10,000 retail jobs in the U.S. as it opens new stores and expands existing locations. The world’s biggest retailer said Tuesday that its plans will also generate about 24,000 construction jobs.
The jobs will come from the opening of 59 new, expanded and relocated Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club locations as well as e-commerce services that were previously announced.
Wal-Mart is opening fewer stores this year, but still adding jobs as it offers more positions in online grocery pickup, trainers for its new academies for hourly workers, and construction jobs for remodels.
The rate is consistent with previous hiring in recent years, said Lorenzo Lopez, a Wal-Mart spokesman. Media reports have also said, however, that Wal-Mart plans to cut hundreds or even about 1,000 jobs at its corporate headquarters by the end of the month.
Wal-Mart typically announces job plans early in the year, analysts say.
Amazon.com announced last week that it would add 100,000 full-time jobs over the next 18 months. It said its U.S. workforce has grown from 30,000 in 2011 to more than 180,000 by the end of this year.
Wal-Mart employs about 2.4 million people worldwide, including 1.5 million in the United States.
Wal-Mart has been looking to trim costs and expenses as it tries to be more nimble and compete better with Amazon. It announced early last year it would close 154 U.S. store locations, and this summer eliminated 7,000 back-office positions.
The Bentonville, Arkansas-based chain saw its online sales improve in the third-quarter and profit beat expectations.