Reuters recently reported that Walmart is changing how its hourly starting wage structure works for entry-level store employees. This is done in order to reduce costs in a slowing job market.
What this essentially means is that store workers, including cashiers, personal shoppers, stockers, self-checkout helpers, and associates manning departments such as sporting goods or electronics will all receive the same hourly starting wages that are paid at the store.
Meanwhile, Walmart spokesperson Anne Hatfield told Reuters that deli, auto center, and bakery workers will continue to receive higher starting wages because their roles are higher-skilled. For others who are joining the company just now in other roles, however, this means that they’ll be receiving less money for their efforts than three months ago.
#27 Just… Wow
Reuters notes that Walmart pays its employees different starting wages depending on where the store is based. “For example, workers in the Northeast start at higher rates compared to the Midwest,” the news agency notes. Hatfield said that the new wage structure will not change Walmart’s minimum hourly wage, which currently stands at $14. Nor, the spokesperson said, will this result in pay cuts for existing employees.