Will Your Mailman Become Your Dog's Best Friend?

• With the surge in pet adoption during the pandemic, pet companies have responded by ramping up their hiring. Demand for pet professionals remains markedly elevated.

• The composition of talent in the pet industry is transforming, becoming more tech- and services-oriented.

• This is also reflected in role growth, with engineers flocking to pet industry companies to build and maintain the infrastructure needed for online shopping and services. It looks like benefits at pet tech companies include office pets and furry play time.

This Thursday is National Pet Day; the day we celebrate our cherished furry friends, who fill our lives with endless joy. In today’s newsletter, we dive into the workforce that helps provide services to our beloved pets.

The pandemic sparked a big surge in pet adoption, with one third of households in the US welcoming a new family member with paws during the first few months of lockdown. A large share of pet adoptions were for dogs, who require services like grooming and walking. To accommodate the increased demand for such services, pet companies increased their hiring across all fields. Job postings from pet companies, stores, and veterinary clinics increased threefold in 2021 and 2022 relative to their levels in 2020. Although the growth in job postings by pet companies has decelerated in 2023, it remains markedly elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The expansion in the pet workforce is driven by the rise of pet tech companies, reflecting the change in pet owners’ shopping behavior and preferences regarding pet care. The American Veterinary Medical Association reported that the percentage of pet products purchased online in the United States more than tripled over the past five years, from 8% in 2015 to 30% in 2020. Pet tech companies like Chewy, Rover, and Pumpkin have largely expanded their workforce since the pandemic. The overall pet tech workforce has grown by 35% between 2020 and 2023. With all these packages coming your pet’s way, your dog may yet start liking your mailman.

Pet companies have expanded their engineering teams significantly since 2020, to build and maintain the technological infrastructure needed to cater to the pet owners’ preference for online shopping and pet services. Similarly, the demand for pet walking and sitting services has also increased significantly in response to the increased ownership of pets during the pandemic and the need to care for these new family members.

Working in pet companies can be a rewarding experience. When we analyze reviews written by those who work in pet companies, we find that employees like the fact that they work with pets, particularly dogs. They are also positive about customers and the discounts they get. On the other hand, employees at pet companies complain the most about management and corporate structure, followed by their stores being understaffed.

This week, make sure to give your furry friend some extra treats and cuddles. Also maybe spare some time to visit a shelter and give some love to orphaned pets.

Happy Pet's Day!