Alexander Whitelow is a full-time college student. He paid the Employment Development Department in Fresno a visit Friday, to look for a holiday job. The odds are actually looking pretty good for Whitelow. National reports show major retailers are going to be increasing their hiring this holiday season.
EDD’s labor market consultant, Steven Gutierrez, said, “Experts are saying that this is going to be the first time in 5 years that were going to see an increase in holiday hiring.”
A number of big retailers are gambling that this holiday season will be a big one. They plan to add more than 320,000 temporary workers for the upcoming season. Leading the way is Target, which expects to bring in between 80,000 and 90,000 seasonal workers. Macy's is a close second, which expects to bring in 80,000 people to help out at its call centers and distribution centers. Other big retailers making major holiday hires include Kohl's, Walmart,Toys R Us and Gamestop. It's seasonal work Gutierrez says the valley desperately needs, “Last month's unemployment rate was 14% so hopefully with the holiday hiring just around the corner, that will get people back into the labor market workforce.”
It's keeping job hunters like Whitelow optimistic. He said, “That is more job opportunities for everybody it's more of a chance that i could get in. As much as everybody else can.”
TXT 24
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