Walmart pays its employees different starting wages based on where the store is based. For example, workers in the Northeast start at higher rates compared to the Midwest.
The new wage structure will not change Walmart's minimum hourly wage of $14, or result in any pay cuts for existing employees, the spokesperson said.
"We can have consistency in staffing across the store, have better customer service and allow for new opportunities for associates to learn things," Hatfield said.
Walmart's move comes at a time when US job growth data in August showed that the labour market was slowing in response to the US central bank's hefty rate hikes to cool demand in the economy, which has already started to see demand waver for discretionary items.
Voluntarily Pay Cuts
Reuters reported in August that Walmart was asking some of its 16,000 pharmacists across the United States to voluntarily take pay cuts by reducing their working hours in a bid to lower costs.
Still, the retailer has fared better than rivals because of its focus on groceries, which are becoming a larger portion of consumers' budgets at a time when their wallets are squeezed by inflation.
The company raised its full-year forecasts for the second-time this year in August.
The retailer has been raising wages over the past few years to attract employees and fight labor shortages spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last month, the company raised its full-year forecasts and beat estimates for second-quarter sales, underscoring its strength in offering lower prices on everything from daily perishables and clothes to inflation-squeezed Americans.
Read More: Walmart Promotes CEO Of Sam's Club To Head International Division
News by Reuters, edited by Donna Ahern, Checkout. For more Retail stories, click here. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
