Prospective mall Santas take heart, this year’s seasonal hiring is likely to be better than the last two years’, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.
The firm analyzed U.S. Labor Department data and found that retail payrolls grew by 150,900 in October, three times more than in October 2009. The last comparable fall hiring surge was in 2006.
Still, Challenger said 2010 probably won’t match 2006, or even 2007, in total holiday hiring. In those years, retail payrolls grew by 746,800 and 720,800, respectively. But even if hiring in November and December stays flat from last year, the firm said total seasonal job growth will top 600,000.
The news isn’t all good for those looking for a month or two of work, though. Challenger said many people who never considered retail work before have been out of a job so long they may give it a try.
The firm said the best bet for those looking for work is not to blanket stores with resumes, but to target one or two locations and try to catch managers during slow hours to meet face-to-face. They could also try looking outside the retail sector to restaurants, shipping offices, event venues, caterers and other businesses that have busy holiday seasons, it said.
