FedEx To Hire 20,000 Seasonal Workers For Holiday Shipping Season

The U.S. economy may be in the doldrums, but FedEx is expecting an upbeat holiday season this year thanks to an increase in the number of consumers shopping online.

Compared to last year, the world's largest express delivery company said it anticipates a 12 percent rise in the number of packages it will deliver between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

To help move those additional parcels, the Memphis, Tenn.-based company plans to boost its workforce by 20,000 through seasonal hires to help handle the surge of holiday shipments, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

It's anticipated that retail goods, including apparel, personal consumer electronics and luxury goods, among others, will account for the bulk of FedEx's holiday volume.

Holiday sales are expected to rise 2.8 percent during November and December, according to the National Retail Federation, higher than the average 2.6 percent increase seen during the last decade.

The increase in shipments through FedEx's system is also expected to boost the fortunes of its rival, the U.S. Postal Service. That's because FedEx utilizes the nation's mail delivery system to deliver smaller, lightweight packages during the final shipping leg.

Hiring For The Holidays

Next: Retailers Hiring The Most Workers This Holiday Season

Stories from CNNMoney

• Strippers Cash In On Lonely Oilmen [Video]
• Locals To Big Oil: We Want Our Town Back!
• Six-Figure Salaries, But Homeless