UPS has called on several hundred accountants and marketers to help make deliveries this holiday season, per the WSJ. UPS normally has "ready teams" to backstop deliveries, but this year had to call on these other workers with little notice to fill gaps on the delivery end.
What it means: The volume in shipments this year was beyond planned levels, a symptom of an industry-wide shift to online shopping. UPS spokesman Steve Gaut acknowledged to the WSJ that the number of seasonal helpers this year was higher this year than previous years. It may also be a sign that the market for seasonal workers is tighter given the U.S. is at its lowest unemployment rate since 2000 (4.1%), leaving fewer workers looking for seasonal jobs.