UPS, Party City look to bolster seasonal employment ranks

One of the nation’s largest package shipping companies and a major party goods and costumer retail have joined other employers in searching for seasonal workers, both here in Connecticut and nationwide.

Both UPS and Party City are hiring tens of thousands of seasonal workers across the country, officials with the two companies said Friday. UPS is looking to hire more than 100,000 seasonal workers across the country, while Party City is looking to hire a similar number nationwide.

In the case of Elmsford, N.Y.-based Party City, the call for seasonal employees is in advance of the retailer’s traditionally busy Halloween selling period. The number of seasonal workers that Party City will hire for any of its 12 Connecticut stores, including locations in Hamden, Orange, Fairfield, Norwalk and Stamford, was not immediately available.

A spokeswoman for UPS said the company will hire 1,340 workers in Connecticut to fill a variety of positions. Last year, the company made 37 percent of its seasonal workers full-time employees after the holiday shipping rush period was over in mid-January.

Employers in Connecticut and across the country are finding it harder to hire enough people during the pandemic and so UPS has changed its hiring process for seasonal workers, presenting job offers to qualified candidates in 30 minutes or less. The company is hiring for package car drivers, tractortrailer drivers, driver helpers, package handlers and personal vehicle drivers.

Once hired season UPS workers can take advantage of the company’s Earn and Learn program. The programs offers eligible seasonal employees who are students up to $1,300 towards college

expenses, in addition to their hourly pay, for three months of continuous employment.

Permanent UPS jobs – including part-time jobs – come with great healthcare and retirement benefits as well as up to $25,000 in tuition assistance, according to company officials.

Party City officials said the specialty retailer will host hiring in all of its locations on Sept. 14 and Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On-the-spot interviews and employment offers will be available on site, according to company officials.

“We’re both excited and proud to welcome new team members to the Party City team for the Halloween season, and beyond,” Brad Weston, the company’s president and chief executive officer, said in a written statement. “This is a special team to be part of, particularly this time of year, and I’m excited to be growing it by thousands of new employees, many of whom will continue on after the season and enjoy career opportunities with us.”