Companies call out for seasonal logistics staffing. Will they get the help they want?

As the calendar moves closer to the holiday season, so, too, do respective announcements by companies, ringing the bell for seasonal labor help.

In the past, these types of announcements were viewed as commonplace, and, to a point, they still are. But it is somewhat different now, in that labor availability, going back to the onset of Covid-19 pandemic more than 2.5 years ago, is far from a slam dunk, what with many people leaving the workforce, and in in some cases, not coming back to it, or, in many cases, not to the same pre-pandemic levels, which were once viewed as typical.

Looking at the companies in need of seasonal help, many of the names, as usual, are familiar ones, including UPS, with the Atlanta-based global freight transportation, express delivery, and logistics services provider looking for more than 100,000 seasonal workers for various positions, such as: seasonal delivery and CDL drivers, package handlers, and driver helpers.

“We have made our hiring process as simple and easy as possible,” said Nando Cesarone, Executive Vice President and President, U.S. Operations, in a statement. “UPS’s strength has always been our people, and we are excited about the opportunity to welcome new UPSers to our team as we deliver what matters for our customers this holiday season.”

What’s more, UPS said that after the 2021 holiday season, almost 35,000 seasonal employees, or nearly one-third of its total seasonal employees, went on to earn permanent positions with the company, which Cesarone said can be “life-changing.”

Indeed, going from a seasonal hire to a permanent one, with the benefits a company like UPS can provide is not a bad holiday gift, to say the least.

UPS is not alone, though.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) recently rolled out its plans for the 2022 fall mailing season in the lead-up to the holiday shipping and mailing season. And a big part of that is it is actively hiring an additional 28,000 seasonal employees in advance of the holiday season, which is part of its Delivering for America plan.

A DHL spokesman told LM the company could not disclose seasonal hiring data for its Express unit, but said that its U.S. eCommerce business unit will be hiring 2,000 seasonal workers across the country.

As for shippers, retail giant Walmart said last week it is looking for 40,00 seasonal associates for various positions, while also noting it is looking for “full-time permanent truck drivers, who keep our company moving year-round,” as well as seasonal store and customer care associates.

And Target said it intends to hire 100,000 seasonal team members in its stores and supply chain facilities across the country, with the latter geared towards positions focused on “providing industry-leading same-day fulfillment services, packing and shipping orders.”

There are sure to be more seasonal hiring announcements coming from logistics services providers. It is not October quite yet, so there is still time for companies in need of seasonal help to post their “Help Wanted” signs, no question.

While these companies all have a need for seasonal help, whether or not they get the help they need for the holiday season remains unclear, given the ongoing labor outlook. Should they get to the staffing levels they need would be welcomed, but there are certainly no guarantees that is a given.