12:40 PM EST By Ashlee Kieler@akieler
A year after Walmart announced it would close 154 stores round the country, eliminating the jobs of about 10,000 employees, the big box retailer unveiled plans to open or relocate dozens of stores and hire more than 10,000 workers.
In announcing its 2017 goals on Tuesday, Walmart laid out plans to bolster its workforce and store footprint, despite reports just last week that the retailer was laying off hundreds of employees in a human resources reorganization.
As part of its plan, the company says it will add about 10,000 retail jobs created through the opening of 59 new, expanded, or relocated Walmart and Sam’s Club facilities, as well as its e-commerce services.
The company notes that its expansion and remodeling plans will also support 24,000 construction jobs.
In addition to adding more employees to its roster, Walmart says that it will focus on improving its current employees through its network of so-called training academies. During the year, the retailer will provide 225,000 associates with up to six weeks of specialty training related to running stores, meeting the needs of customers, and other retail fundamentals.
Walmart’s plan to add jobs comes just a week after it was reported that the company would eliminate hundreds of jobs around the country before the end of its fiscal year on Jan. 31. The bulk of the cuts are reportedly focused on the company’s human resources division, where executives believe the positions could be more streamlined, with duties being taken over by outside consultants or other employees.
A rep for the company told Consumerist at the time that it had made no announcements related to its 1.5 million associates at the corporate and store level.
1.17.17By Ashlee Kieler@akieler