Retailers Increase Hiring For Holidays
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- The holiday shopping season is looking brighter for retailers, as more and more stores are hiring temporary workers in anticipation.
Two years ago, as the recession bottomed out, there were just under 384,000 jobs created for the holiday season. That number jumped to 501,000 last year.
This year, John Challenger, CEO of the global outplacement firm Challenger Gray and Christmas, said holiday hiring could reach 600,000 workers.
KCBS' Margie Shafer Reports:
"The interviews are going on now. Many companies don't start people until mid-November," said Challenger.
He said additionally, the National Retail Federation has forecast that holiday spending will increase 2.3 percent.
"There are 800,000 people added to the private sector payrolls in 2010," Challenger said. "That's more people with spending power. We're not in a great year, but slowly, that demand has increased."
Nationwide, Macy's is looking to hire 65,000 workers, Toys "R" Us 45,000 and UPS is looking to hire upwards of 50,000 workers.
"Companies and retailers do use these times as auditions to select the best people for more permanent jobs," said Challenger.
Typically, these holiday jobs last through mid-January.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
