FedEx to add 20,000 seasonal workers, sees shipping up 13 pct

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - FedEx Corp said on Monday it plans to hire 20,000 seasonal workers, the same as last year, to handle holiday shipping volume that it expects will be up more than 13 percent.

An ongoing increase in e-commerce and last-minute orders amid a slow-growing economy will mean more deliveries for companies like FedEx that can handle fast shipments.

FedEx, which is closely watched as an indicator of consumer demand and economic health, anticipates handling more than 280 million shipments during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The company said the impact of an increase in holiday shipments was included in its fiscal 2013 earnings outlook.

For the second time this year, FedEx cut its forecast for global growth in 2013, citing slower growth in China, recession in some European economies and high energy prices.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/22/fedex-holidayhires-idUSL1E8KP8NI20121022