Royal Mail has launched its Christmas recruitment drive, aiming to hire almost 22,000 temporary workers to manage the surge in letters and parcels during the festive period. The postal company says it needs stand-in staff to help transport, sort and deliver the additional mail, and notes that seasonal roles often lead to permanent positions.
Where the jobs are
The hiring spree includes 12,500 mail sorting roles in England, 1,243 in Scotland, 485 in Northern Ireland and 355 in Wales. There are also 5,000 delivery and collection roles across the country and 2,100 temporary truck driver positions.
Many of the roles are based at two parcel "super hubs" in Warrington and Daventry, five seasonal parcel sorting centres in Atherstone, Stoke-on-Trent, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Daventry, and four parcel hubs in Stonebridge Park, London, Wishaw, Scotland, Severn Beach, Bristol, and Wakefield, Yorkshire. There are also vacancies at 37 mail centres across the country.
Timing and how to apply
Seasonal workers are needed from late October to early January, covering the busy Black Friday and Cyber Monday period, with demand peaking in December. Those interested should visit Royal Mail's recruitment website for details.
Jamie Stephenson, Royal Mail Chief Operating Officer, said: "Christmas is the busiest and most important time of the year for our customers, and we're working hard across every part of our operation to deliver for them."
"While many people start thinking about Christmas as the festive season approaches, we've been planning for it since January. From recruiting thousands of seasonal colleagues to strengthening capacity across our network, we're making significant investments to help ensure every card, gift and parcel arrives in time for Christmas."
The company says it particularly welcomes applications from people aged under 25, including those with no experience. The recruitment drive comes as Royal Mail seeks to improve its delivery record after missing targets in the past.
