According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 2011 seasonal hiring is expected to mirror 2010, with 29 percent of retailers planning to hire extra help.
Among various industries, employers anticipate hiring key positions, such as sales, customer service, shipping and administrative support. Ten percent of hospitality companies plan to add seasonal staff, about the same as last year.
"Employers are keeping the status quo for holiday hiring as economic uncertainties shake consumer confidence," says Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder. "While retail has the lion's share of seasonal jobs, you can also find opportunities in various industries and corporate roles. Hiring managers continually tell us that they will transition some seasonal workers into permanent employees, so you want to apply early and let the employer know up front that you're interested in long-term employment."
Recommended For You
For functional areas within an office or store, much recruitment this holiday season will be around customer service at 30 percent, administrative support at 16 percent, shipping and delivery at 15 percent, technology at 12 percent, inventory management at 10 percent, nonretail sales at 9 percent, accounting and finance at 8 percent, and marketing at 8 percent.
Fifty-three percent of respondents say they will pay at least $10 per hour to seasonal staff, an increase from 48 percent last year. Another 14 percent of respondents say they will pay at least $16, a jump from 9 percent last year.
Although holiday work is quickly filled, 33 percent of respondents say they are still recruiting for open positions in November, with 11 percent saying that could last as late as December. Of the respondents hiring seasonal help, 30 percent say they plan to transition some employees into full-time, permanent staff.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
