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Institute for Workplace Studies-----------------Professor Samuel B. Bacharach

School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies

Cornell University

16 East 34th Street, 4th floor--------------------Stuart Basefsky

New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau

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Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc

 

Press Release 10 November 2014

October Sees Record Breaking Hiring

RETAILERS ADD MORE THAN 180,000; MOST OCTOBER JOB GAINS EVER RECORDED

http://www.challengergray.com/download/file/fid/183

 

 

CHICAGO, November 10, 2014 – In preparation for what is hoped to be the

strongest holiday shopping season since the recession ended, retailers went on a hiring

spree last month, adding more workers than they ever have in October.

 

Last week’s employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that retail

employment grew by non-seasonally adjusted 180,600 in October. That is the largest

net increase on record for the month since the agency began tracking industry

employment in 1939, according to an analysis of the data by global outplacement firm

Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

 

Last month’s record-breaking employment gains were up 13 percent over the 160,000

workers added to retail payrolls in October 2013.

 

The strong start bodes well for a holiday hiring season that stretches from October

through December, with the heaviest retail workforce additions typically occurring in

November. Last year, a total of 786,200 new jobs were added to retail payrolls during

the final three months of the year. That was the most since 2000, when 788,200

workers were hired during the final three months of the year.

 

“Strong October hiring does not guarantee that holiday hiring will surpass last year’s

level, but it is certainly a good sign. We have seen steady increases in the number of

seasonal workers hired since 2008, when recession-ravaged retailers added a paltry

324,900 seasonal workers in the final quarter of the year. Holiday hiring returned to

pre-recession levels in 2012 and, in 2013, saw the strongest job gains since 2000,” said

John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

 

“This year, several major retailers, including Macy’s, Kohl’s, Walmart and Gamestop,

announced they were hiring more holiday workers than a year ago. Non-retailers, such

as UPS and FedEx, also plan to increase holiday hiring levels, with UPS adding 40,000

more seasonal workers than a year ago and FedEx bettering last year’s count by

30,000,” noted Challenger.

 

“While the bulk of the seasonal hiring has already been completed, it is never too late to

find openings. Many of the areas adding seasonal workers, including retail, food service

and shipping companies, tend to have high turnover. Because these employers are

adding so many workers so quickly, the odds of failed hires increases significantly. They

just don’t have the time to make sure the applicant is the best fit for the job. As a

result, job seekers may be able to continue to find opportunities well into the holiday

season,” he advised.

 

AND MORE...including TABLES....

 

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