Retailers such as Walmart and Safeway have prepared big hiring plans for the Bay Area and California, a welcome counterpoint to the increasingly bleak short-term economic prospects in the Golden State and nation, executives said Friday.
Walmart will hire 6,200 workers in California, the retail titan. That comes on the heels of the company’s announcement it would hire 150,000 nationwide.
These efforts were announced just a few days after Safeway revealed it will hire 2,000 workers in Northern California, western Nevada, and Hawaii.
“Strong demand in stores” has prompted Walmart to dramatically ramp up hiring in the Bay Area and nationwide, the retailer said. Walmart added that the upswing in hiring is expected to last “through the end of May.”
The Bay Area is also poised to benefit from a big jump in hiring by Safeway, based on plans the supermarket chain revealed this week.
“There are more than 2,000 immediate openings at Safeway, Andronico’s, Vons, and Pak ‘N Save retail stores,” Safeway said.
“Deli, meat, bakery, produce, fuel stations and customer service departments” as well as “cashier or courtesy clerk” openings are available, Safeway said.
It wasn’t immediately known how many associates Walmart would be hiring in the Bay Area.
“We do know that all stores in the Bay Area are hiring,” said Alma Maldonado, a Walmart representative.
