Fact check: What percentage of Walmart's workforce is part-time versus full-time?

1. A Big Shift: Walmart’s Push to Convert Part‑Time Roles into Full‑Time Jobs

Walmart announced a deliberate strategy to increase the share of U.S. hourly store workers classified as full‑time, stating a goal to have two‑thirds of those roles full‑time by January 31, 2022, a change presented as raising full‑time positions to about 740,000 of 1.2 million hourly store jobs. That target is repeated across multiple accounts and framed as a retention and recruiting move, with the company tying the shift to more consistent schedules and career ladders for associates. The reporting dates vary, but the core operational claim — a conversion aimed at shifting the internal split toward a roughly 66% full‑time rate for U.S. store hourly staff — is consistent across sources ^{[1] [2]}.

2. Conflicting Totals: Why Percentages Diverge by Context and Denominator

Different summaries produce different apparent ratios because they use different denominators: the two‑thirds figure specifically applies to U.S. hourly store associates (1.2 million), whereas other statistics reference Walmart’s global workforce (about 2.1 million) or aggregate the mix of full‑time, part‑time, and other employment types. Statements that “over 40% are part‑time” imply a complementary full‑time share under 60% when applied to a broader base, creating an apparent inconsistency with the two‑thirds claim. Both sets of claims can be true simultaneously if one applies to U.S. hourly store employees and the other to global or differently defined headcounts ^{[2] [4] [5]}.

3. Recent Updates and Corporate Messaging: The 68% Figure and New Perks

Later corporate‑facing materials and commentary indicate a roughly 68% full‑time share among U.S. hourly associates in 2024 communications, and emphasize that full‑time roles generally offer higher take‑home pay and advancement opportunities. Parallel coverage highlights new perks, bonus plans, and skilled‑trade pathways which Walmart promotes as mechanisms to both attract workers into full‑time roles and retain them. These company narratives advance a workforce strategy focused on converting more part‑time slots to full‑time opportunities and coupling compensation changes with career development messaging ^{[3] [6]}.

4. Independent Summaries and Where They Differ: Part‑Time Over 40% Claim

Independent summaries which state that over 40% of Walmart employees are part‑time emphasize a different framing: they look at Walmart’s full global workforce makeup or use aggregate metrics that include non‑store employees. That framing produces a headline that most readers interpret as a company with a large part‑time contingent; however, it does not contradict the company’s U.S. store‑level goal of two‑thirds full‑time, because the two statements measure different slices of the workforce. Readers should note that headline percentages depend on whether the focus is U.S. hourly store employees or all global associates ^{[5] [4]}.

5. Bottom Line and Unresolved Gaps: What Numbers Still Need Clarification

The clearest, most replicable claim across the materials is that Walmart targeted and reported roughly 740,000 full‑time U.S. hourly store positions out of 1.2 million, or about two‑thirds full‑time, a figure reiterated in 2021–2022 accounts and revisited in later corporate materials noting around 68% full‑time associates ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Remaining uncertainties stem from divergent denominators (U.S. store hourly vs. global total), timing of subsequent staffing changes, and whether part‑time/hourly definitions shifted with scheduling and job reclassifications. For a definitive current split, the most useful follow‑up is a recent Walmart workforce disclosure that explicitly states the date, geographic scope, and the exact definitions used for “full‑time” versus “part‑time.” ^{[1] [3] [5]}