Holiday Worker Outlook Improving; Kohl's To Hire Nearly 70,000
By John Dodge
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Kohl's Department Stores on Wednesday said it plans to hire nearly 70,000 people to help during the busy holiday season, and one expert predicts a good year for those seeking part-time work.
"Kohl's is building a winning team by hiring more than 67,000 seasonal associates across the country to ensure we sustain the great service our customers know and have come to expect," said Richard Schepp, Kohl's senior executive vice president.
Kohl's anticipates hiring an average of 50 associates per store.
In addition, the company anticipates hiring approximately 9,300 seasonal positions at distribution centers across the country and approximately 670 seasonal credit operations positions.
Hiring began this month, and most jobs will be filled by mid-November. Click here for more information on jobs.
Overall, the outlook for season hiring appears strong, according to a forecast by Challenger Gray & Christmas.
For example, UPS plans to hire 95,000 seasonal workers, which could have a snowball effect on retail hiring.
In its annual holiday hiring forecast, Challenger expects seasonal employment gains in the retail sector to significantly outpace 2013, when 786,200 workers were added to retail payrolls during the final three months of the year.
"We could see retailers add more than 800,000 seasonal workers for the first time since 1999. The UPS hiring plans, which, technically, would not be counted among retail employment gains, certainly represent a strong indication of holiday spending expectations. That announcement alone could cause some retailers to reassess their hiring projections and add more workers than they originally intended," said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.