30 December, 2013: Delivery service drivers should be among the professional groups most benefited by the extra job and income opportunities being offered by retailers and courier companies this holiday season. 

While traditionally a busy season for the retail and delivery service industry, December has in recent years seen a drop in the overall volume of goods both purchased and delivered, largely due to the uncertain economic climate. The 2013 season, however, seems to represent a significant reversal of that trend, as retailers and delivery service companies alike are once again recruiting with confidence. 

In fact, a major online recruitment and job seeking portal has come on record to state that the number of additional vacancies for retail and delivery-related positions on their website this year is 73% higher than last year for the logistics and delivery service fields, and 49% higher for the retail field. Other areas experiencing employment growth, according to the website’s 160,000 vacancy sample, included construction and real estate and property salesmanship. 

Despite the extra opportunities for income available over the holiday season, however, a study by the same website indicated that there had been no substantial rise in the average salary offered to these additional seasonal workers when compared to salaries offered during the ‘regular’ season. On the contrary, they were at exactly the same level as last year, and 1% lower than wages offered during the same period in 2009. 

According to the job portal in question, this growth in job opportunities, if not in salaries, is more than just a seasonal trend. A source close to the website’s administration has come on record to state that even during the ‘regular’ working year, industries such as manufacturing continue to present an encouraging upward trend, which is expected to continue rising in upcoming years. As for couriers and drivers, the advent of online shopping and the inherent need for a delivery service it presents, should also ensure that they are kept busy in the final stretch of the year. 

About Courier Exchange: 

Courier Exchange is an online trading platform that aims to connect couriers with empty vehicles (often on return journeys), and contractors with loads that need to be delivered. Learn more about them at www.courierexchange.co.uk . 

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