NEW YORK (AP) -- UPS said Tuesday it will hire 90,000 to 95,000 employees -- about the same as last year -- to help handle shipping and deliveries over the holiday season.

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A United Parcel Service drop box in Seattle, WA. (Photo Credit: Ron Wurzer/Getty Images)
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The Atlanta-based company will hire package handlers, drivers and driver-helpers to work full-time and part-time at locations around the U.S. The seasonal jobs will last from November to January. UPS says seasonal jobs can become permanent jobs in some cases.

The company says applications must be submitted online.

United Parcel Service Inc. hired between 90,000 and 95,000 people for the 2014 holiday season. The year before that the company initially hired 55,000 people and was caught off guard by an increase in last-minute online shipping as shoppers flocked to offers of free shipping that lasted until a few days before Christmas. UPS wound up hiring another 30,000 people, but even with the additional help, some last-minute orders were not delivered until after Christmas. The late hires also drove up its costs and hurt company profits.

Shares of UPS rose $2.83, or 2.9 percent, to $99.84 in midday trading. Its shares are up 2.3 percent for the past year.

 

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