By Saundra Latham, Cheapism
Despite a rash of high-profile store closings, the holiday hiring season is well under way — and it’s a doozy. According to employment services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, companies have announced more than 704,000 seasonal jobs across the country, a number that bests the previous record, set in 2014, by 8,000 jobs. For some extra holiday cash or even a leg up on permanent employment, we’ve rounded up some of the most notable places to put in a resume.
TARGET
Target is hiring a whopping 120,000 seasonal workers at stores, and another 7,500 for positions at distribution and fulfillment centers. That's a nice boost over last year, when it hired for about 100,000 seasonal jobs. Positions run the gamut from logistics to cashiers to food service. Target has also boosted its minimum wage, with workers now earning at least $12 an hour.
AMAZON
As online shopping continues to make inroads, it's no surprise Amazon needs a small army of helpers this holiday season. It will need 100,000 seasonal workers across the United States, about 20,000 fewer than last year. Seasonal workers will also benefit from Amazon's new $15 minimum wage, which kicked in at the beginning of November.
UPS
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| © Provided by Cheapism UPS |
UPS needs 100,000 full- and part-time workers for the holidays, a modest jump of around 5,000 jobs over last year. If you'd like a long-term gig, take note: The company has made about a third of its seasonal hires permanent in the past few years.
KOHL'S
Kohl's is going big this year, hiring about 90,000 seasonal workers to fill jobs at 1,100 stores, nine distribution centers, five order-fulfillment centers, and credit centers across the country. The retailer also touts an employee discount, special Associate Shop days, and the opportunity for permanent employment after the holidays.
MACY'S
Macy's will boost its holiday ranks by 80,000 workers, about the same as it forecasted last year.
Workers are needed in stores as well as at call centers and order fulfillment centers. Seasonal workers will also be eligible for bonuses if the department-store giant hits its sales goals.
GAP
Gap is hiring 65,000 seasonal workers to support its Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta stores. Positions will run the gamut, from sales-floor associates to call-center and distribution-center workers. The hires get the same 50 percent discount as non-seasonal workers.
FEDEX
FedEx plans to hire around 55,000 drivers, package handlers, and other temporary workers, up about 10 percent from last year, according to Reuters. Major package-handling locations include Columbus, Ohio; Denver; Portland, Oregon; and Woodbridge, New Jersey, among others.
JCPENNEY
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| © Provided by Cheapism JC Penney |
Despite high-profile struggles, JCPenney is adding 39,000 holiday workers, about 1,000 less than last year, for everything from cashier jobs to beauty consultants at the chain's in-store Sephora cosmetics centers. Associates will be eligible to win eight $5,000 reward packages and get an employee discount of up to 25 percent off.
NORDSTROM
High-end department store Nordstrom is adding 24,000 workers, almost double the 13,000-plus jobs the company aimed to fill last year. Jobs include positions at close to 380 Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores across the United States and Canada, as well as call centers and distribution and fulfillment centers.
AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS
Clothing chain American Eagle needs 22,000 seasonal workers to help with the holiday rush at its primarily mall-based American Eagle and Aerie stores. Workers can take advantage of a 40 percent employee discount and are also eligible for "special contests, giveaways, and prizes."
RADIAL
Radial might not be a household name, but some of its ecommerce clients are, including Adidas, Dick's Sporting Goods, Hallmark, and PetSmart. This year, the company wants more than 20,000 holiday workers to fill jobs at more than 31 order-fulfillment and customer-service centers across the country, down 7,000 from last year.
GAMESTOP
GameStop is hiring 15,000 seasonal workers for retail jobs in its 3,800 locations across the country this holiday season. It’s also filling positions at 40 ThinkGeek stores and two distribution centers: one in Texas and one in Kentucky. It’s enticing workers with a one-time holiday bonus equal to one week of additional pay after the holidays are over. Some positions may become permanent, and the store also offers a 15 percent employee discount.
MICHAELS
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| © Provided by Cheapism Michael's |
Craft-store giant Michaels will be adding 15,000 seasonal workers at more than 1,200 stores across the country, about the same as last year. For workers hoping to stick around, chances are good: The company says it funneled 40 percent of its seasonal hires last year into permanent roles.
KROGER
One of the nation’s largest grocery chains, Kroger will boost its workforce by about 10,000 workers this holiday season, although that’s 4,000 fewer than last year. Help is needed at locations across the country in several areas, including customer service, e-commerce, merchandising, and operations.
1-800-FLOWERS
1-800-Flowers needs around 8,000 workers mostly in Illinois, Ohio, and Oregon to lend a hand during its seasonal rush, the same amount as last year. Some of those jobs will be with other brands the flower giant owns: Harry & David, Cheryl's Cookies, and The Popcorn Factory. Jobs include production, gift assembly, retail, distribution and fulfillment, and call-center help.
BASS PRO SHOPS
Mega-outfitter Bass Pro Shops needs 7,000 seasonal workers to help it through the holidays this year. Jobs run the gamut from positions at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s stores across the country to various roles at the company’s restaurants, contact centers, distribution centers, and boat dealerships. Qualified candidates may be able to stay on as full-time employees.
DICK'S SPORTING GOODS
Dick's hopes to sign up at least 5,000 seasonal workers to handle the holiday rush. It touts an employee discount of up to 25 percent and "competitive wages."
WILLIAMS-SONOMA
While it's unclear how many are seasonal roles, Williams-Sonoma has been looking for 4,000 workers to fill a variety of roles at Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, Rejuvenation, and West Elm stores. It's also hiring up to 3,500 additional workers at customer-care centers.
BURLINGTON (FORMERLY BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY)
It's unclear how many workers Burlington will be hiring this season, but the discount retailer has posted more than 2,500 seasonal openings at stores across the country. Jobs run the gamut from cashiers and department-specific store associates to stockroom help.
BEST BUY
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| © Provided by Cheapism Best Buy |
Though tech-retail giant Best Buy hasn't given a firm number, it says it plans to hire "thousands of seasonal employees" at its stores and distribution centers this year. The company says about 30 percent of its temporary hires go on to full-time jobs with the chain.
HICKORY FARMS
All those yummy holiday gift baskets don't make and sell themselves, so Hickory Farm needs "thousands" of seasonal associates to help out. Positions are available in retail stores and assembly and distribution centers.
WALMART
Surprisingly, if you head to Walmart looking for a seasonal job, you might be out of luck. For the third straight year, the nation’s largest private employer is bucking the trend of hiring extra help. Instead of recruiting thousands of new workers, Walmart will be offering additional hours to current associates who want to pocket some extra cash during the holidays.
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