Oct 21, 2008 7:18 pm US/Eastern
Holiday Jobs Less Plentiful, But Still Out There
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Holiday budgets are expected to be tighter this season, but stores are still hoping for a bump in spending. That means retailers are looking for holiday help. And the lure of a seasonal job at a chain store to get that coveted employee discount while paying down bills, is attractive to many.
Cathryn Johnson, a mother of four, knows that times are tight. "Pay off the mortgage, pay it down, so far we're lucky we haven't racked up credit card bills" she said.
Each year, department as well as discount stores and other retailers hire tens of thousands of extra employees to help stock shelves and ring up customers' purchases. With this year's economy taking a nosedive, one-third fewer part-timers are expected to be hired.
Still, experts say seasonal jobs are opening and now is the time to land one.
"The largest number of hiring managers are beginning to hire in October and so this is the month to get an application in," Cathy McCarthy said.
"This year we're expecting to hire around 16,000 to 20,000 new employees for the holiday season," Best Buy's Steve Cox said.
Stores like Best Buy, Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Bloomingdale's, Dollar General, Radio Shack, Target, Wal-Mart, and even UPS are all starting to staff-up for the season.
"Consider things like product demonstrators, hey are looking for people to go into warehouse clubs and give demonstrations of food samples," McCarthy said.
How much can you expect to earn? The Bureau of Labor Statistics finds on average, $11.79 an hour.
Other benefits to taking a seasonal job include employee discounts of up to 20% to the opportunity of turning that part-time position into a full time one.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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