Logistics hiring rose at the fastest pace in a year last month as companies prepare for the peak holiday season.
According to the Wall Street Journal, warehousing and storage payrolls grew by 8,400 positions in September, and in order to gain employees in a tight labor market, warehouse operators are raising wages. Last week, Amazon announced that it was going to up its minimum wage to $15 an hour for all employees.
Demand for employees is so high that some companies are becoming more lax on background checks and drug tests. Employers are even recruiting workers by canvassing local community events, the Journal reports.
The Wall Street Journal reports that retailers cut 20,000 jobs last month, suggesting that companies are focusing on adding payrolls through distribution centers to meet consumers' e-commerce demands rather than in store.
Online sales is expected to outpace in-store growth this holiday season, the Journal reports. With added hiring pressure on distribution and fulfillment centers, companies are pulling out all the stops to get labor.
Meanwhile, companies like UPS and FedEx are also staffing up to meet demands. Just last month the sector added 5,100 jobs.
