Survey: Retailers Will Hire More Seasonal Workers This Year
More than 68 percent of major retailers plan to hire more seasonal workers this Christmas season than they did in 2009, according to CIT Group Inc.’s second annual retail-outlook study, released Nov. 10.
The study’s results dovetail with forecasts of seasonal hiring by high-profile employment firm Challenger, Christmas & Gray. In September, the Chicago-based Challenger released its survey, which forecast that 664,300 retail jobs would be created in the holiday period, from October to December of this year.
Also in September, Macy’s announced that it will hire 65,000 seasonal workers for Christmas, and Best Buy announced that it will hire 29,000 seasonal workers for this holiday retail season.
The increase in hiring is juxtaposed with fears of a bad economy, said Jon Lucas, executive vice president and chief sales officer of trade finance at CIT. “While retailers remain cautious about the future, many are preparing for a busy holiday season.”
CIT’s survey also noted that 72 percent of retailers plan to offer more discounts this Christmas compared with last year. In addition, 60 percent of retailers also expect to hold a clearance sale prior to the end of the Christmas season, while 40 percent said they intend to wait until after the holiday season ends to hold a clearance sale.—Andrew Asch
