(Reuters) – Target Corp said on Thursday it plans to hire 100,000 seasonal workers this year, fewer than last year, to prepare for the holiday season at a time when the industry grapples with tight labor supply.
The company said it will offer more work hours for its existing employees during the holiday season, about $75 million more into their paychecks, at a time most U.S. retailers are offering pay raises and better incentives to retain workers.
Target, which increased its starting wage to $15 last year, announced plans to hire about 130,000 seasonal workers each year in 2019 and 2020.
The company was among the few retailers that enjoyed an upbeat holiday season last year, with its comparable sales increasing 17.2%, as investments in its online business helped Target gain market share from smaller brick-and-mortar rivals.
To better support in-store pickup and a service where store workers bring customer orders to their cars, Target this year is tripling the number of its store fulfillment expert roles over the last two years.
Department store chain Macy’s Inc is hiring more workers this year, while Walmart Inc is bringing in 20,000 workers at its supply chain division ahead of the holiday season, which starts a day after Thanksgiving and continues into early January.
(Reporting by Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru and Richa Naidu in Chicago; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)
