WITH the holiday season just around the corner, the demand for seasonal delivery jobs in Carlisle is on the rise.

As the popularity of online shopping continues to grow, major firms in the city such as DPD, Amazon, and Royal Mail are actively recruiting additional staff to meet the anticipated surge in deliveries.

Royal Mail is seeking over 58 temporary workers to help sort the Christmas post and the increasing amount of online Christmas shopping at its Carlisle Mail Centre located on Junction Street.

Grant McPherson, chief operating officer at Royal Mail, said: “We are pulling out all the stops to deliver Christmas for our customers.

"It’s our busiest time of the year and we know how important it is for people that we deliver letters and parcels on time.

"By planning ahead and hiring more people, vans, and trucks, we are well-prepared to handle the expected increased festive mail and parcels and deliver the high standards of service our customers expect from Royal Mail.”

Temporary positions across a variety of shifts will be available until early January 2024.

The period for the additional temporary work includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday but will be at its peak in December. 

The company is encouraging applications from people looking to earn extra income for the festive season, with no previous experience required. 

A spokesperson for Carlisle's DPD, in Kingmoor Park, confirmed the firm is actively seeking a permanent LGV driver as well as 3.5T delivery drivers on the run-up to their busiest time of year. 

The online shopping giant Amazon, located on Woodlands Industrial Storage Estate in Longtown, is also currently advertising various roles on their website. 

Last year, the firm sought to add around 20 positions to join the delivery station team ahead of its seasonal hiring.

Nationally, the firm Evri (previously named Hermes) announced in August it would be taking on more than 5,000 additional workers across the UK ahead of the festive period.

Evri’s parcels volumes have soared above pre-pandemic levels amid record demand. It delivered over 2.5m parcels every day in June and July.

Chief executive Martijn de Lange told the Times: “Ahead of the busy festive period, we are about to embark on the biggest recruitment programme in our history.

“This follows another significant year of growth, supported by continued growth from online retailing, including marketplaces and pre-loved sites, as customers increasingly look to buy and sell second-hand products.”