Where They're Hiring for the Holidays

Although retailers don't expect to do land-office business this holiday season, as I noted in my previous post on the subject, they are cautiously optimistic, and many large retailers expect holiday sales to be better than they were last year. Some expect to do well enough to require large numbers of seasonal hires.

The outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reports that retailers expect to add more than 555,000 jobs for the 2010 holiday season -- a relatively small number historically but significantly more than were added in the past two holiday seasons.

Many of the net gains are expected at the lower end of the retail food chain - the discount department stores and mass merchandisers. Kohl's Department Stores, for instance, expects to hire 40,000 additional people for the Christmas 2010 shopping season, a 20 percent increase from last year. Toys 'R' Us plans to increase its seasonal hires by 30 percent this year. Even Macy's Inc., the nation's biggest mid-range department store, expects to add 65,000 people this year, up slightly from last year.

These figures back up other data that suggest retail employment continues to rebound from its 2008 slump, though it remains nowhere near the heady levels of the mid-2000s. However, the rebound this year looks to be modest compared to last year, when retailers added 54 percent more seasonal employees than they did in the slump year of 2008 - 501,400 vs. 324,900.

Regional trends also vary, with the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest projecting stronger hiring this season than other regions based on Federal Reserve Bank "Beige Book" reports.

Yet overall, it looks like it just might be a merrier Christmas and happier holiday season for both those seeking jobs in retail and those employing them.

Jobs for the holidays and beyond are waiting for you on RetailGigs.com.

By: Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his career in public relations and corporate communications. His work has appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia CityPaper, PGN, and a number of Web sites. Philly-area residents may also recognize him as "MarketStEl" of discussion-board fame. He has been a part of the great reserve army of freelance writers since January 2009 and is actively seeking opportunities wherever they may lie.

Where They're Hiring for the Holidays

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