Amazon, Target Boost Hiring Plans While Retailers Scale Back Seasonal Roles
The report stated that both corporations are providing extra hours to current employees throughout the holiday season.
Although retailers anticipate hiring fewer seasonal employees than in other years, they are getting ready for the holiday shopping season. A well-known publications named The Economic Times reported that workers' main responsibilities will be to assist clients in stores and assist with the assembly of online orders in warehouses.
In preparation for the impending holiday shopping season, Amazon said that it will be hiring 250,000 full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers—a number that remains unchanged from the previous year. Target and Bath & Body Works also want to hire roughly 100,000 seasonal workers apiece. Additionally, the report stated that both corporations are providing extra hours to current employees throughout the holiday season.
Walmart and Kohl's are two more stores that are implementing distinct tactics. While Walmart has been hiring colleagues all year long and plans to rely on its current personnel during the hectic season, Kohl's is soliciting applications but has not set any hiring targets.
Conversely, several businesses are reducing their recruiting during the holidays. Compared to last year, when it hired 38,000 seasonal workers, Macy's aims to hire around 31,500 this year. According to the survey, the decrease in hiring indicates a cautious attitude by merchants in anticipation of changes in consumer demand.
Seasonal workers are in high demand this year due to worries about the US labour market's slowdown. Openings for jobs have been progressively declining since March 2022, when they peaked. Due to growing economic challenges, businesses have forced to modify their staffing strategy.
Retailers still find that the holidays are a critical period, as both physical stores and online retailers get ready for a spike in demand. To encourage early holiday shopping, a few retailers have already started holding discount events.
Retail sales are expected to rise despite an unstable labour market. According to Deloitte, between November and January, US retail sales could rise by 2.3% to 3.3%, totalling $1.59 trillion in sales. Similar 3% growth in sales is anticipated by EY-Parthenon for the customary November–December period, however a large portion of this gain is anticipated to be driven by inflation. The analysis stated that real volume sales are only expected to increase by 0.5%.
The research highlights Adobe's e-commerce trends analysis, which projects an 8.4% growth in online sales to a record $240.8 billion. Online sales are a rising component of the market.
