By Carolina Pulice
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The wholesale arm of Carrefour (EPA:CARR) Brasil added 15,000 direct and indirect jobs in the first six months of 2023, the retailer said on Thursday, as it continues to expand in South America's largest nation.
The unit, Atacadao, which operates warehouse stores and distribution centers across Brazil, did not say how many were direct company jobs and how many were openings for service providers such as cleaners and IT technicians.
In this period, Brazil has created over 1.02 million new jobs, according to labor ministry data.
The company, Brazil's biggest wholesale brand, said it had also opened 49 stores over the first half of the year and plans to open three more in the remainder of 2023.
Carrefour Brasil, a subsidiary of French retail giant Carrefour, in June completed the brand conversion of stores it inherited from Grupo BIG, which it bought in mid-2022 for 7.5 billion reais ($1.53 billion), turning 76 BIG stores into Atacadao units.
The financial hit from the integration, however, caused Carrefour Brasil to post a profit down 95% for the second quarter of this year as its operating expenses soared.
The company did not give details on job losses or layoffs over the period.
Atacadao Chief Executive Marco Oliveira said the expansion supported social and economic development in regions where it operates, creating new jobs and offering affordable food products to local residents.
($1 = 4.9036 reais)