Walmart to create 100,000 full-time US roles in retention push

The move could help Walmart hold onto staffers amid rising COVID-19 vaccinations and easing restrictions, but its reluctance to boost its starting wage above the current $11 an hour — even as rivals move to $15 and above — rankles employees and labour advocates alike.

Walmart Inc. said it will shift more of its U.S. workforce to full-time status, the latest move by the nation’s biggest private employer to hold onto staff. The world’s largest retailer said it expects two-thirds of its U.S. hourly roles will be full-time by the end of the fiscal year that concludes in January of 2022, which translates to about 100,000 more full-time positions than it had five years ago. The company said in a blog post Wednesday those roles will have consistent schedules from week to week, answering a common complaint of its workers. The move could help Walmart hold onto staffers amid accelerating vaccinations and easing restrictions. Walmart went on a hiring binge last year, bringing on board half a million people to cope with surging demand in its stores and online. But its reluctance to boost its starting wage above the current $11 an hour — even as rivals like Target Corp. and Costco Wholesale Corp. move to $15 and above — has rankled employees and labor advocates alike.