RICHMOND — Walmart has announced that it will hire more than 1,600 seasonal associates in Virginia for the upcoming holiday season.

“In addition to offering a chance to earn extra money during the holidays at one of the 143 stores in Virginia, starting salaries of at least $9 an hour will also provide opportunities to earn at least $1.75 an hour above the current federal and state minimum wage,” stated a Walmart press release.

Walmart traditionally brings on additional help during the holiday season after offering current associates the opportunity to sign up for additional hours. “Employees initially hired as seasonal sales associates, cashiers and stockers often continue as full-time employees and progress within the company. Last year, more than half of Walmart’s seasonal employees nationwide continued with the retailer as permanent employees,” the release stated.

Walmart has also made a commitment to provide shoppers with a customer service-oriented holiday shopping experience for both in-store and online shoppers, as seasonal department managers will be hired to help customers conveniently pick up their online orders in stores across the nation.