RALEIGH – In a tight labor market, companies are doing all they can to attract and retain workers in the Triangle. That’s important, as the latest WRAL TechWire Jobs Report finds that there are more than 50,000 job openings across the region.
Earlier this week, Verizon announced that it has raised the starting hourly wage for all new and all existing customer service employees, and will also change the minimum compensation for its workers based in retail stores.
The company will raise the starting wage to $20 per hour, according to media spokesperson Chris Serico. And it will extend “the same raise (when base salary and target commission are combined)” Serico told WRAL TechWire in an email.
All current customer service employees will automatically receive the new hourly wage, automatically.
The company is going even farther in the Triangle, where it is now offering sign-on bonuses for its retail specialists and assistant managers. Serico confirmed to WRAL TechWire that the sign-on bonus for retail specialists will be $2,500 in the Triangle and the bonus will be $3,500 for assistant managers, but added “at some of our stores.”
A statement from the company also notes that there will be an increase in pay for its managers who work holidays, Sundays, and for those who are bilingual.
In 2020, Verizon and AT&T both reportedly made cuts in jobs. Now, Verizon is hiring some 177 jobs in the greater Triangle area, including non-retail, non-customer service positions, according to its careers website.
The Raleigh-headquartered authorized Verizon reseller Victra, which recently bought Go Wireless, is also hiring in the Triangle for retail sales positions. However, WRAL TechWire has not confirmed whether Victra will match Verizon’s pay raises. The company did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Raleigh’s Victra buys Go Wireless – and continues to hire in the Triangle
