DHL Express, the international air express arm of German transport and logistics giant Deutsche Post DHL, said Tuesday it has raised wages 15% to 18% for hourly workers at its main U.S. hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
The increase means, for example, that the starting pay for hub operations agents, who work on an hourly basis, will range between $20 and $23 an hour, DHL Express said in a statement. The adjustments began over the weekend.
Hourly workers also receive a $1,000 sign-on bonus, two annual raises, health benefits with an onsite medical clinic, free employee meals and a choice of work schedules, the company said.
The company declined to comment on how many hourly workers are employed at the hub. A published report in 2021 said there were about 4,500 workers at the hub. However, the report did not break out the number of hourly and non-hourly workers.
Since it ended domestic U.S. operations in January 2009, DHL Express has used the American market as a node to connect with its expansive global network, which serves about 220 countries and territories.
According to data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), seasonally adjusted total compensation for transportation and warehousing workers in June rose 6.2% over the same period in June 2021.