Walmart will create new jobs in Ontario
Walmart announced the creation of a new global technology center in Toronto as part of its $3.5 billion CAD investment in Walmart Canada.
Walmart Inc. is transforming Toronto, the administrative center of the province of Ontario into one of the new global technology hubs. The expansion is part of Walmart Global Tech's plan to hire more than 5,000 employees worldwide this fiscal year.
The retailer noted that Canada's largest city and Atlanta, Georgia, were chosen as the new hubs because of their growing presence in the technology sector, as well as a broad and diverse local talent pool. The corporation said it intends to hire hundreds of workers at the 2 sites.
"We're excited to join the dynamic and diverse technology community in Toronto and Atlanta," said Suresh Kumar, Walmart's chief technology officer and chief development officer, "working in these new hubs will impact millions of lives and change the future of retail".
According to representatives of the retail chain, the development of a technology center in Toronto will help curb the outflow of talent from the country in the field of technology.
"The technology community in Canada is one of the leading and most dynamic in the world, anchored by globally recognized talent and innovation," said Nicholas Salcedo, director of technology and data at Walmart Canada, in a press release.
Toronto's initial hiring will include 45 full-time positions in software development, technical program management and product management. In Atlanta, the initial hiring is expected to include 140 new full-time positions.
The addition of Toronto and Atlanta will increase the number of Walmart Global Tech centers to 16, including Seattle and Chennai, India, which launched last year. In 2021, the number of tech employees worldwide increased by 26 percent to 20,000.
In 2020, Walmart Canada announced a $3.5 billion CAD investment to make online and in-store shopping easier, faster and more convenient for the retail chain's Canadian customers. The decision to absorb the investment over the next 5 years was made by the company as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated e-commerce trends and encouraged people to shift to shopping online. The company said the goal of Walmart's investment in a technology center in Toronto is to keep up with these changes and expand the company's presence in the country. Part of the investment will also be invested in remodeling 150 stores.
