Most Retailers Not Offering Holiday Season Jobs

Things are looking up for retailers as solid sales in recent months could mean that shoppers are ready to spend more this holiday season, according to an L.A. Times business report.

Despite the expected sales growth, 67 percent of retailers surveyed by the Hay Group planned to keep their seasonal hiring at the same levels as last year, and 24 percent plan to hire even fewer workers.  is located just off Manchester Road. The company reported exceptional sales growth this year, but is one of the retailers that plans to offer more hours to its normal sales staff rather than hire additional workers, the Wall Street Journal stated.

, incuding the store in the Manchester Highlands Shopping Center, is another retailer that will hire fewer seasonal workers. The company expects to hire 15,000 workers, down from 29,000 last holiday season, CEO Brian Dunn told Reuters in a recent interview. He also said that Best Buy is counting on overtime from its permanent staff to fill the gap.

Macy’s, with nine stores in the St. Louis metro area, is one of the few retailers that plans to hire more holiday staff than last year. It plans on hiring 78,000 seasonal workers across the country in retail stores, call centers and distribution centers. Macy's employs about 170,000 associates on a year-round basis.

Macy’s has already started to hire staff for distribution centers and receiving departments and will begin to fill store sales positions in mid-October. Those interested in applying for a part-time, seasonal job can fill out an application online.

Toys “R” Us plans on hiring its typical seasonal work force—about 40,000 extra employees. The company said that it often offers its seasonal employees full-time work and 10 percent of its current staff was hired as temp workers in 2010.

“We are proud to create tens of thousands of jobs across the country this Christmas, while providing the potential for hardworking individuals to find a permanent position with us,” said Dan Caspersen, Executive Vice President, Human Resources at Toys “R” Us. The company will continue to hire workers as needed through November.

On the Horizon:

• You can nominate a Small Business Person of the Year (2012) to the U.S. Small Business Administration. The deadline for nominations is November 2011. Awards are handed out during National Small Business Week, which will be in May 2012.
• 3rd Annual Creating Connections Business Expo will be held at Life Time Fitness from 5-8 p.m. Oct. 13. The event is sponsored by the West St. Louis County Chamber of Commerce.
• The first Ride Clayton Road Classic will be held at 9 a.m. Oct. 22 at Frontenac Plaza. The event is sponsored by the Town & Country-Frontenac Chamber of Commerce.