UPS announced today that it expects to hire over 100,000 seasonal employees to support the anticipated annual increase in package volume that will begin in October 2020 and continue through January 2021.

 “We’re preparing for a record peak holiday season. The COVID-19 pandemic has made our services more important than ever,” said Charlene Thomas, Chief Human Resources Officer. “We plan to hire over 100,000 people for UPS’s seasonal jobs, and anticipate a large number will move into permanent roles after the holidays. At a time when millions of Americans are looking for work, these jobs are an opportunity to start a new career with UPS.”   

The company is filling full- and part-time seasonal positions – primarily package handlers, drivers, driver-helpers, and personal vehicle drivers – by offering competitive wages across multiple shifts in thousands of locations across the country.

Over the last three years, about 35 percent of people hired by UPS for seasonal package handler jobs were later hired in a permanent position when the holidays were over, and about 123,000 UPS employees – nearly a third of the company’s U.S. workforce – started in seasonal positions.

That opportunity for a permanent job is important to many. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of seasonal hires want their job to turn into a long-term position, according to a recent survey of Americans who hold, held or would consider a seasonal job.

Through the company’s Earn and Learn program, eligible seasonal employees who are students can earn up to $1,300 towards college expenses, in addition to their hourly pay, for three months of continuous employment. UPS has invested nearly $670 million in tuition assistance – nearly $30 million a year since the program was established in 1997 – helping over 300,000 employees pay for their college education.

Image credit: NBC news