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September 21, 2010
TAMPA - It's only September, but already stores are making plans to staff up to serve the holiday crowds.
The good news is one national employment firm said retailers will hire more people this year, because sales were up over the summer. The bad news is mall managers in the Tampa Bay area haven't seen much pickup in hiring so far.
Retail stores nationwide are expected to add 500,000 to 600,000 seasonal workers from October through December, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago firm that helps companies find work for their employees when downsizing.
That would be good news for job seekers. Last year, retailers just barely crossed the half-million mark, adding 501,400 workers from October through December.
Retailers might be encouraged to hire more because of stronger sales recently, said John Challenger, chief executive of the job placement company.
Retail sales rose by 0.3 percent in July and 0.4 percent in August.
Retailers that may do the most hiring include big-box stores such as Target and Wal-Mart, Challenger said. These discount stores stand to do the best because shoppers will still be looking for deals this holiday season, he said.
Locally, mall stores usually start taking applications for holiday season workers in late September, hoping to have them trained and ready to work by the second week of November, said Tom Locke, general manager of University Mall in Tampa.
In early August, students returning from summer vacation flocked to the mall to find part-time jobs. But there were few jobs to go around, he said. So far, Locke hasn't noticed many stores hanging help-wanted signs for the holidays, either.
"In today's market, (stores) can be extremely selective in their applicants, because they have a larger pool to pick from," he said.
In Wesley Chapel, The Shops at Wiregrass may see some additional hiring, but it's not really tied to the holiday season, mall manager Greg Lenners said. His mall expects to add some new stores in the next few months and they need employees.
Toys R Us has opened a new small-format Express store at the Wiregrass mall on a temporary basis, and clothing store Wet Seal will open next month, Lenners said.
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