Delivery group DPD has announced the creation of 700 new permanent jobs in the Republic before the end of the year.
The company said the move is in response to a huge rise in online shopping due to the Covid crisis.
DPD is to create 150 jobs at its headquarters in Athlone, with the remaining roles spread across 36 hubs around the State. The announcement brings the total number of people employed locally to nearly 2,000.
The delivery group earlier this year said it averaged 730,000 parcel deliveries per week at the height of the Republic’s lockdown restrictions in May and June, double what would usually be delivered.
DPD, the State’s largest parcel delivery company, also said it is to invest €1 million in its automation and routing systems at the Athlone facility, and will invest a similar amount in additional driver scanner technology to help support anticipated additional parcel volumes over the Christmas period.
The company has already spent €500,000 this year doubling the size of its depots in Cork, Kildare and Meath, with two more facilities opening in Dublin this month.
DPD Ireland chief executive Des Travers said the company was actively recruiting at the moment, and confirmed that the company had experienced a phenomenal increase in demand due to Covid-19.
“Our services have played an important role in these unprecedented times, with consumers ordering more online due to coronavirus concerns. The new jobs will increase our workforce to almost 2,000, enabling us to continue to meet customer demand,” he said.
“The additional roles provide a glimmer of light against the bleak backdrop of the coronavirus crisis, and we hope the expansion of our business will help boost the economy as a whole.”
The new jobs are in addition to 100 new driver roles announced in April of this year amid a surge in demand due to the pandemic.
DPD Ireland is part of the DPD Group, the second largest international parcel delivery network in Europe. The group delivers 1.3 billion parcels to more than 230 countries each day.
