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Survey: Retail Holiday Hiring to Be Flat

September 06, 2011

Despite anticipating higher holiday sales this year, retailers’ hiring plans remain conservative, according to a recent survey by Hay Group, a management consulting company. While 68 percent of retailers expect holiday sales to increase this year, 67 percent plan to hire the same as last year; 25 percent plan to hire fewer seasonal workers.

 “Retailers have a tempered optimism about the holidays this year,” said Craig Rowley, vice president and global practice leader for Hay Group’s retail practice. “Cost inflation has made profitability more elusive, and retailers are trimming the fat with staffing and store hours.”

Rising e-commerce sales also affects hiring levels. Nineteen percent of retailers say they will hire more seasonal staffers for their distribution centers due to expected online sales activity, which is offset by 19 percent that cited increased online sales as a reason for hiring fewer in-store temporary workers.

Hay Group surveyed 21 major U.S. retailers for its report.