UPS Holiday Hiring Rises

United Parcel Service Inc. plans to hire 70,000 temporary workers to help with the holiday shipping season, a 40% increase from 2003.

UPS estimated Tuesday that it would deliver more than 340 million packages from Thanksgiving to Christmas, peaking Dec. 21 with about 20 million air and ground packages. That is about 6 million more than the company’s normal domestic daily load.

Last year, UPS hired 50,000 seasonal workers, about the same as in 2002.

The increase is seen as a sign of an improving economy because delivery companies such as UPS are considered bellwethers of consumer purchasing. During the last holiday season, UPS delivered about 300 million packages, spokeswoman Christine McManus said.

The seasonal workers will include package sorters, loaders and driver helpers. The company’s ground delivery fleet of 88,000 brown package vans, cars and tractor-trailers will increase by 7,000 vehicles, and UPS Airlines will add two dozen jets to its year-round operating fleet, UPS said.

The temporary workers will join the company’s 317,000 employees in the United States.

McManus said the temporary hiring would vary from region to region. Many of the workers, who will work a variety of shifts, are students, she said.