UPS to hire 55,000 seasonal workers for holidays

UPS expects to move more than 34 million shipments on its peak shipping day this year -- up about 21% from the same period last year.

To handle the increased workload, United Parcel Service announced it will hire 55,000 seasonal workers this holiday season. The company will be hiring drivers, package sorters, loaders and other positions, UPS said Friday.

Overall, shipping volume is expected to grow 8% this year, the Atlanta-based company said.

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FedEx said this week it too will expect higher volumes, largely due to increased online shopping.

The National Retail Federation projects U.S. holiday shopping sales will increase 3.9% over last year, reaching $602 billion.

Online holiday sales are expected to increase to $61.8 billion, a 15.1% rise over last year, according to EMarketer, a market research firm.

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