Wal-Mart Expects 22,000 New Jobs

As Wal-Mart Stores Inc. opens about 150 new or expanded stores in the U.S. in 2009, the company expects to hire about 22,000 people for new positions.

Those positions include plenty of cashiers and stock clerks, but the world's largest retailer will also be adding store managers, pharmacists and personnel workers.

Wal-Mart is holding its annual shareholders meeting on Friday, and employees from its stores around the world are spending the week in Bentonville at company headquarters.

Wal-Mart, still the target of criticism from union-backed groups for its pay and benefits, has improved its health insurance coverage and opened it to full- and part-time employees. The company says 94 percent of its employees have health coverage, either through Wal-Mart or another family member.

"At Wal-Mart, we offer competitive pay and benefits and real opportunities for our associates to advance and build careers," Wal-Mart Vice Chairman Eduardo Castro-Wright said. "Job creation is just one way in which we're working hard every day to help people across this country live better."

Other employee benefits include a 401(k) plan, stock purchases and discounts for workers making in-store purchases.

The company has touted its generic drugs program in which Wal-Mart is selling $4 prescriptions for many popular medicines. Competitors, such as Kroger Co., have matched the price for some prescriptions.

"During this difficult economic time, we're proud to be able to create quality jobs for thousands of Americans this year," Castro-Wright said.

Earlier this year, the company shared more than $2 billion with its workers through bonuses, profit sharing and payments into the company 401(k) plan.

Wal-Mart has more than 2.1 million employees in the U.S. and abroad. The company had sales last fiscal year of $401 billion.

[jbar116]

Yeah let's all go work for less than minimum wage at a company that forces small businesses to go out of business and has one of the worse employee managment records and lowest pay scale around while they make more money than god. They advertise all the good they do in the communities but it is at the expense of small business and their employees who barely make a living. Don't allow them to build in your community unless you want to close up all the mom & pop businesses in town.

[puzzler125]

I just got laid off and I STILL wouldn't work at Wal-Mart. It was the most miserable work experience of my life.

[underdogus09]

Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. Hey, that's a great idea ...the guy who made $50 billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $750 billion disappear.

[Dgunner]

Walmart is the worst enternal threat to The United States since post www two depression

[bajajohn1]

Jabba the Hut Limpdoodle will insult Canadians once he learns that you have freedoms.

[erasmus111]

Where in Canada were you born?
Posted by rushlimpdrug at 9:22 PM : Jun 4, 2009

British Columbia.

[erasmus111]

I'll put in my papers to be a part of "the greatest country," as you put it and live happily ever after up there.
Posted by dkhorse11 at 9:21 PM : Jun 4, 2009

NO! I told you, you can't just come up and start living here. : )

[rushlimpdrug]

I think we would survive. I think that the U.S. may be more dependant on us. You need our oil, lumber and WATER.
Posted by erasmus111 at 9:14 PM


Where in Canada were you born?

[dkhorse11]

I think we would survive. I think that the U.S. may be more dependant on us. You need our oil, lumber and WATER.
Posted by erasmus111 at 9:14 PM : Jun 4, 2009

So you've got everything future migrates like me would need to make up there? Fantastic! So I'll put in my papers to be a part of "the greatest country," as you put it and live happily ever after up there.

[erasmus111]

What about dual citizenship? Everyone else seems to be doing it!
Posted by dkhorse11 at 9:08 PM : Jun 4, 2009

I'm not sure what you mean.

I don't think that you can just come into the country anymore and become a citizen. You have to have relatives or marry a Canadian.