Walmart plans to hire more than 50,000 people in its U.S. stores by the end of April as it expands its retail and other businesses in the midst of a labour shortage. 

Walmart's hiring push comes as retailers and other businesses face a tight labour market and near-record job openings.

This is also at a time of year when many retailers cut back on hiring following the holiday shopping season. Many of those employees will work in stores, but Walmart also plans to hire in new business areas such as health and wellness and advertising, according to Donna Morris, the company's chief people officer.

 "...And we’re hiring thousands into our Global Tech organization while adding new hubs in Toronto and Atlanta, driving innovation for our customers, members and associates."

The Global Tech team will hire thousands of engineers, data scientists and tech experts this year as the company puts an emphasis on attracting strong tech talent to continue evolving their business.

Walmart hired approximately 5,500 pharmacists and pharmacy managers, over 13,000 pharmacy technicians, and approximately 4,500 truck drivers last year. 

According to a company release, the starting wage for select roles in certain markets is now as high as $30 an hour as the company continues to hire great talent to hourly and salaried roles in their stores, clubs, distribution centers, and fulfilment centers.

According to Walmart's recent annual report, the company employed 1.6 million people in the United States as of the end of March 2021.