Seasonal Hiring Could Hit Record Levels

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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA Purdue University professor says this holiday season may set a record for seasonal employment. Richard Feinberg, a professor of retail management, says between 600,000 and 800,000 seasonal workers will be hired nationwide, which would break the previous record of 750,000 in 2013.
Feinberg says retailers have already begun hiring for seasonal positions, knowing their importance during the busiest shopping period of the year.
"Retailers know that, if they don’t have people in the stores, they force people to go to the Internet or they lose sales in the stores and neither of those outcomes are something that they want," said Feinberg. "So they have planned for a robust hiring season which, in Indiana, would suggest about 75,000 seasonal jobs across the state."
Feinberg says Indiana is fortunate due to the number of fulfillment centers located in the state, such as FedEx, Amazon, UPS, the U.S. Postal Service and Walmart. Other major retailers, such as hhgregg and JCPenney are also looking for seasonal employees.
Last year, seasonal hiring was at 675,000, which is a stark contrast to 2008 during the economic downturn when only 265,000 seasonal workers found employment. Feinberg says, while there is no guarantee, there is a chance that seasonal jobs could turn into full-time positions, especially in distribution centers. He says seasonal work provides a great income supplement, along with employee discounts.
Feinberg tells Inside INdiana Business research is pointing to a positive holiday seasons for most retailers. His annual report on holiday spending is set to be released next week.
Feinberg says the seasonal employment outlook looks good for Indiana.