Walmart Cuts Starting Pay for Some New Hires Under Revamped Wage Structure

Walmart Inc. has lowered its starting pay for some new hires as part of a revamped wage structure that took effect in July.

(Bloomberg) — Walmart Inc. has lowered its starting pay for some new hires as part of a revamped wage structure that took effect in July.

The lower rates will affect new employees such as online-order pickers and shelf stockers, a Walmart spokeswoman said Thursday. Those employees would previously have earned more than newly hired cashiers, for example.

The new wage structure also led to a pay raise for about 50,000 existing employees who were making less than new minimums the company adopted in certain job categories, the spokeswoman said. With the overhaul, the country’s largest private-sector employer is aiming to improve customer service by making it easier for workers to move from one department to another.

Walmart is maintaining its minimum hourly wage of $14, a rate that took effect earlier this year and led to a pay raise for about 300,000 employees. The retailer continues to offer minimums above that level in higher-cost regions.

The company isn’t cutting existing workers’ pay as part of this summer’s changes, which were reported earlier by the Wall Street Journal.

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