Need a job? Holiday hiring here already
If you think September is too early to apply for holiday jobs, think again.
Better-than-expected consumer spending and employment gains across the nation and in Indiana are expected to boost demand for seasonal workers this year.
Retailers such as Meijer have already started hiring full-time workers in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season. Delivery companies FedEx and UPS also are adding seasonal jobs with the expectation that for many it will lead to permanent employment.
In its annual holiday hiring forecast, consultant Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. predicts seasonal employment will significantly outpace 2013, when 786,200 workers were added to the nation's retail payrolls during the final three months of the year.
"We could see retailers add more than 800,000 seasonal workers for the first time since 1999," said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
"The last two years saw holiday hiring return to prerecession levels," Challenger said. "This year, we could see hiring return to levels not seen since the height of the dot.com boom."
Indiana's outlook mirrors the nation.
Jerry Conover, director of the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, said consumer confidence among Hoosiers is good, bolstered by strong job growth. Hoosiers can expect that growth to continue through the end of the year, spurring an increase this year in holiday spending. In 2013, wages stayed relatively flat with the unemployment rate at 7 percent. For most of this year, however, the jobless rate has remained under 6 percent.
Michigan-based Meijer plans to hire 1,800 seasonal and full-time workers in Indiana for a variety of jobs from stockers and cashiers to meat cutters and cake decorators.
The increase in seasonal hiring reaches beyond retailers.
Delivery giant FedEx is adding 50,000 jobs — 10,000 more than last year — including package handlers, helpers, drivers and other support positions.
"Based on our growth expectations and network expansion, the majority of those seasonal workers will have the opportunity to continue working with us after the holiday season," said Paula Bosler, a local FedEx spokeswoman.
"In Indianapolis, we are hiring over 800 positions, which include permanent part-time and seasonal positions at the Indianapolis FedEx Express Hub and FedEx Ground," Bosler said. Pay for permanent part-time positions at FedEx Express Hub starts at $12.25 per hour and includes medical benefits, she said.
The growth of e-commerce has been key to FedEx's and other companies hiring.
Competitor UPS said Tuesday that it would hire up to 95,000 workers to handle the increased volume. Last year, the company came under fire after it couldn't keep up with holiday shipments — much of it the result of online shopping.
Amazon, one of the biggest contributors to the e-commerce boom with a large local distribution center, has not yet announced plans for seasonal hires. In 2013, however, the company added 70,000 extra holiday workers. Retailers Macy's and Walmart, both of which have a strong online presence in addition to their brick-and-mortar stores, hired 83,000 and 55,000 seasonal workers, respectively.
Nationally, holiday hiring has improved each year since 2008 when the recession led to a 55 percent decline in holiday hiring. Only 324,900 seasonal workers were added that year, making it the worst holiday hiring year on record.
Call Star reporter Leisa Richardson at (317) 444-6378. Follow her on Twitter @leisarichardson.
How to apply
• For Meijer, apply at http://jobs.meijer.com
• FedEx: For FedEx Express Hub positions, call (317) 879-2386 for detailed information. For FedEx Ground positions, go to www.watchasort.com