UPS will beef up holiday workforce

NEW YORK – UPS said Tuesday it will hire 90,000 to 95,000 employees – about the same as last year – to help handle shipping and deliveries over the holiday season.

The company struggled to handle a crush of online shipping over the past two years, particularly during the last, frenzied days of the shopping season, when retailers entice people into buying last-minute gifts by offering free shipping. Millions of packages arrived late in 2013 and 2014. UPS said it is better-prepared this year because it is reaching out to more customers, including smaller retailers, to get estimates of how many orders they expect to receive. The company said it is getting more updates on those figures.

The Atlanta-based company will hire package handlers, drivers and driver-helpers to work full time and part time at locations around the U.S. The seasonal jobs will last from November to January. UPS said seasonal jobs can become permanent jobs in some cases. As a federal contractor UPS will pay a minimum wage of $10.10 an hour, and some driving jobs will pay about $30 an hour.

The company said applications must be submitted online.

UPS said it expects U.S. online sales to almost double by 2020. In response it is hiring more staff, buying new vehicles and trailers, using more aircraft, updating its website and investing $1 billion in facility and equipment improvements.

It has automated more of its operations so it can process more orders using fewer people.

Competitor FedEx said it will disclose its holiday season hiring plans soon.