AutoZone to hire more than 20,000 U.S. employees

(Reuters) - Automotive parts retailer AutoZone Inc said on Thursday it plans to hire more than 20,000 employees in the United States to meet growing demand from retail and commercial customers.

The move comes as North America auto sales gradually recover since hitting a bottom in April, pushing major automakers to ramp up production and boost weak inventories at dealerships.

It is, however, in stark contrast with the broader trend of layoffs across industries that have been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. employers announced another 262,649 job cuts in July, up 54% from June.

AutoZone said it was adding the jobs across its more than 5,800 U.S. stores.

(Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)