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Working the Holidays - Job market may be tight for those looking for seasonal work at retail stores
Journal photos by Jennifer Rotenizer
Marvina Coleman of Winston-Salem hopes that her seasonal job at J.C. Penney in Hanes Mall will turn into a full-time position.
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Published: November 8, 2009
HOLIDAY HELP: SEASONAL SPOTS
Marissa DeHart sat on the floor in the accessories department at Belk at Hanes Mall with a pen in one hand and a barcode scanner in the other, marking down the price on handbags.
Belk hired her last month to help in the store during the holiday season.
DeHart, who lives in Clemmons, said she used to work for Wal-Mart before she went on maternity leave in August.
Now, she's re-entering the job market, looking for flexible hours, after giving birth seven weeks ago to a son.
"It's been a big help, being able to do Christmas and support my family," she said.
Local competition for holiday retail jobs could be tough this year.
Archie Hicks, the manager of the Winston-Salem office of the N.C. Employment Security Commission, said people are not specifying the type of work they want because they are looking for any type of work they can get in this economy.
Historically, young adults in college come into the commission's Winston-Salem office looking for holiday work.
"Now, we're seeing a full range of ages applying for these jobs because there aren't enough jobs available," Hicks said.
He said that his office has not seen an upsurge in orders from retail employers for holiday workers.
"I don't get the sense that it's going to be anywhere near the numbers it has been in past years," he said. "Last year wasn't too good."
Whistlestop Toy Station at Mt. Tabor Place Shopping Center isn't doing any seasonal hiring.
Co-owner Andy Fansler said that his regular part-time employees will be more than enough help. "We just give them more hours," he said.
But there are local merchants hiring for the holidays.
Belk at Hanes Mall has hired most of the 25 to 30 workers it will need for selling, stocking and setting up for the holiday, but it may need a few more, said David Brazeau, a vice president and regional manager for Belk.
He estimates that his store has 10 more holiday employees than it had last year.
"Í guess retailers are eternally optimistic," Brazeau said. "We think it's going to be a little bit better than last year."
Macy's and J.C. Penney, for example, are also hiring.
Melissa Goff, a corporate spokeswoman for Macy's, declined to give numbers but said that Macy's has seasonal positions available and is looking for new-hire associates.
She said that the department store's level of seasonal hiring is about the same as last year.
J.C. Penney at Hanes Mall plans to hire 20 to 30 more people than last year, said Jack Johndrow, the store's manager.
The store will hire a total of 80 to 100 people over the next few weeks, mostly for sales and support staff.
J.C. Penney has increased its holiday hiring partly because officials expect a good season.
"We're seeing an uptick in consumer interest right now for areas like home, which is always a good predictor of consumer spending," Johndrow said. "Of course, with the weather turning cool, it's got a lot of people thinking about apparel needs."
He also said that all J.C. Penney stores have been adding more staff since last Christmas as part of a company mandate to improve their level of customer service.
"We have added more staff to get more people out in front of the customer," Johndrow said.
Marvina Coleman of Winston-Salem has wanted a job at J.C. Penney for at least two years.
She was hired last month at the Hanes Mall J.C. Penney for the holidays but hopes she'll get a full-time position.
Coleman, a single-mother of a 2-year-old son, said she was laid off from a full-time job at Olan Mills photography in February and has applied for jobs everywhere she could think of, including fast-food restaurants and temporary services. After months of looking, she was thankful to finally receive calls from J.C. Penney and another retailer at Hanes Mall.
"I had two interviews on the same day," she said smiling.
fdaniel@wsjournal.com
727-7366
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