BENTONVILLE, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Walmart announced that the company has hired more than 206,000 veterans and promoted more than 30,000 to roles with higher pay and greater responsibility since launching its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment in May 2013. The commitment guarantees a job offer to any eligible, honorably discharged U.S. veteran who has separated from service since the commitment was announced on Memorial Day 2013. Walmart is now more than 80 percent of the way to reaching its goal to hire 250,000 veterans by 2020.*
Approximately 1,300 veterans and their families return to civilian life every day, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Veterans possess important skills and leadership abilities that make them highly sought-after job candidates. The Veterans Welcome Home Commitment helps veterans find career opportunities at Walmart and aims to ease the sometimes-difficult transition from active duty to civilian life.
“As we approach the Labor Day holiday, I’m reminded that work is a beautiful thing, and for transitioning veterans, finding that sense of purpose is often lost after separation from service,” said retired Brig. Gen. Gary Profit, senior director of military programs at Walmart. “Veterans shouldn’t have to worry about finding employment, so Walmart is here to help service members figure out their new path through civilian life and, for many, start their careers as we’ve seen with the 30,000 promoted since the launch of the Commitment.”
In May 2013, Walmart introduced the Veterans Welcome Home Commitment with an initial goal to hire 100,000 veterans by the end of 2018. In May 2015, Walmart revised its goal to hire 250,000 veterans, including veterans hired within the Welcome Home Commitment as well as other veterans hired by Walmart, by the end of 2020. Walmart also changed the eligibility under the Welcome Home Commitment from within 12 months of active duty, to any veteran who has been honorably discharged since the announcement of the commitment in May 2013.
Walmart’s military programs not only focus on transitioning veterans, but also those currently serving and military spouses. The Military Family Promise guarantees a job at a nearby store or club for all military personnel and military spouses employed by the company who move to a different part of the country because they or their spouse have been transferred by the U.S. military. The policy allows service members and military spouses to remain in the same personnel and pay systems and gives them the opportunity to turn jobs into careers.
To strengthen support of veterans as they reintegrate into their local communities, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation committed to investing $20 million over five years beginning in 2011, in job training, education and innovative public/private community-based initiatives. After fulfilling the $20 million commitment early in 2015, they announced an additional $20 million investment. While Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have completed the $40 million commitment, they continue to make investments that strengthen systems and communities to help our military, veterans and their families navigate the wide array of resources available to them at all stages of their service journey.
For more information about Walmart’s Veterans Welcome Home Commitment and overall support to veterans, service members and military families, please visit www.walmartcareerswithamission.com.
*Editor’s Note
These projections and reported hires/promotions include veterans hired under our original and expanded Welcome Home Commitment as well as other veterans hired by Walmart in this time frame. While we think it is particularly important to support soldiers as they make the transition to civilian life, Walmart believes all veterans deserve our respect and support, no matter when they left active duty.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better - anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 265 million customers and members visit our more than 11,200 stores under 55 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2018 revenue of $500.3 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.