Home Depot says it will raise pay for Canadian, U.S. workers

Home Depot mentioned Tuesday it is investing US$1 billion in wage will increase for its U.S. and Canadian hourly staff.

The Atlanta-based dwelling enchancment chain mentioned each hourly worker will get a elevate beginning this month. Starting pay can be at the least $15 per hour in all markets.

Home Depot is one in all many huge retailers who’ve raised pay to draw staff in a powerful U.S. job market, the place unemployment is at its lowest stage since 1969. Walmart introduced in January that it will be elevating its hourly wage to a mean of $17.50, whereas Target invested $300 million in hourly wage will increase final 12 months.

The pay raises might additionally assist Home Depot head off a fledgling marketing campaign to unionize its shops, which it opposes. Workers at a Home Depot in Philadelphia filed to carry a union election final September, saying staff weren’t benefiting from Home Depot’s robust gross sales and shops had been understaffed. Workers on the retailer voted to reject the union in November.

Home Depot employs 437,000 folks within the U.S. and 34,000 in Canada. The overwhelming majority are hourly staff, the corporate mentioned. The firm operates 2,000 shops within the U.S. and 182 shops in Canada.

“This investment will help us attract and retain the best talent into our pipeline,” Home Depot’s Chairman, President and CEO Ted Decker wrote in an e-mail to staff. Decker famous that 90% of the chain’s retailer management began as hourly staff.