Australia Post is getting ready for its biggest Christmas ever and recruiting 3,700 people across the country to help process and deliver what are expected to be unprecedented parcel volumes.
Last year the postal operator delivered over 40 million parcels in December alone, which was an 11.7% increase on the previous year. This included two record-breaking days, which saw three million parcels delivered in a single day.
To help support the business during the festive season this year, 2,500 Christmas casuals will be hired across processing and transport. There will also be an additional 1,200 fixed term roles available to serve customers in Post Offices, customer contact centres and across the delivery network.
Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Christine Holgate said the injection of new people will be integral in making this Christmas a success. “This is a record-breaking recruitment drive for what will be the biggest Christmas in Australia Post’s history, and as we set those new records, we are inviting people to be a part of it.
“Online purchases hit a record $27.5 billion in 2018, and upcoming online shopping sales like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Singles Day are set to be bigger than ever. Together with traditional greeting cards, we are gearing up for a big Christmas rush.”
Australia Post is also in the midst of a A$900 million, three-year investment in infrastructure and automation across its network to increase parcel capacity. A number of new sites and upgrades are on-track to be operational ahead of Christmas, including the new Brisbane Parcels Facility, which will be the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
“We know our customers want their online purchases delivered safely and quickly, which is why we’ll have more people in our facilities, more vehicles on the roads, and our Post Offices open for extended trading hours from 25 November,” Holgate said.
Australia’s Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, The Hon. Paul Fletcher welcomed the recruitment drive by Australia Post to support the busy holiday period.
“It is great to see Australia Post creating jobs during the festive season. It’s an important initiative to assist with the timely delivery of parcels and greeting cards when volumes hit record highs and many Australians are keeping a close eye on the mailbox for Christmas deliveries,” he commented.
