Walmart raising hourly wages for thousands of employees

Walmart is increasing pay for approximately 165,000 hourly workers across U.S. stores and introducing new leadership opportunities.

On Thursday, the retail company announced the changes, citing that "associates have done an incredible job serving customers and making a difference in their communities," especially in the middle of COVID-19.

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According to the store's website, the following change in wages will be made:

• Hourly lead roles in Supercenters will now be paid up to $30 per hour.
• Pay for hourly associates in the deli and bakery area will now be $15 per hour.
• Pay is also being raised for several hourly auto care center roles.

"We are re-investing in several ways to provide associates with higher and more consistent base pay," the company stated.

Employees will start to see the changes in October.

Aside from raising wages, the company announced it's "investing in new roles and skills training to give us the flexibility to serve customers anytime and anywhere. In turn, associates will have more room for career and pay growth."

For more information on the increase in wages and new roles, visit Walmart's website.