Walmart’s 2017 expansion calls for 10,000 new jobs
NEW YORK - Wal-Mart (WMT) plans to add about 10,000 retail jobs in the U.S. as it opens new stores and expands existing locations.
The world’s biggest retailer said Tuesday that its expansion plans will also generate about 24,000 construction jobs. The company says it will build 59 new, expanded and relocated Walmarts and Sam’s Clubs.
Walmart plans $6.8 billion in capital investments in the U.S. in the coming fiscal year, which begins on Feb. 1. The investments include construction and remodeling of stores, clubs and distribution centers, and the expansion of new services such as online grocery pickup.
Walmart currently has 11,593 stores in 28 countries. The Bentonville, Arkansas, company has continued to pour money into its e-commerce effort and improving its stores. The chain saw its online sales improve in the third quarter and profit beat Wall Street’s expectations. It also raised the low end of its full-year profit outlook.
Last week, archrival Amazon (AMZN) announced that it would add 100,000 full-time jobs over the next 18 months. Amazon said Thursday its U.S. workforce has grown from 30,000 in 2011, to more than 180,000 by the end of this year. By comparison, Walmart employs about 2.4 million people worldwide, including 1.5 million in the U.S.