Majority of Walmart U.S. Hourly Jobs to be converted to Full-Time

On Wednesday, Walmart said that it plans to convert the majority of its U.S. hourly jobs into full-time positions by the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The aim is to promote job stability and retain workers. Senior Vice President of Walmart U.S. People Operations, Drew Holler, outlined the plans in a blog post. Holler said that two-thirds of the retailer roles that are currently on an hourly basis will eventually be converted into full-time jobs.

Holler wrote, “We’re uniquely positioned to offer a combination of stability and room for growth that few others can match. We are prioritizing consistent schedules, skills training and new pathways for growth, so all jobs at Walmart can lead to careers.” He claimed that the retailer knows that offering full-time opportunities along with training and skills will help them retain employees.

The aim is to retain top talent by equipping associates with tools to make their work easier and keep attracting employees. In the United States, more than 1.6 million employees work with Walmart. In 2016, it had about 53% of its hourly workforce holding full-time positions.

The new goal announced on Wednesday follows the line of Walmart distribution and fulfillment centers, say the top executives. The distribution and fulfillment centers comprise nearly 80% of their workers employed full-time. Holler said that meeting the 80% goal by year-end would mean that 100,000 more full-time positions will be created than that they had five years ago. This would mean that the company is representing meaningful investments in the associates’ hours, pay, and stability.