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Holiday hiring binge: Macy's wants 85,000 new workers

Macy's joins other retailers in an end of year, holiday hiring spree. Kohl's Corp. expects to hire more than 69,000 workers. Toys R Us plans to hire 40,000 people.

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(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
Eager shoppers crowd the entrance in Nov. 2013 as they pour into the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York. On Monday, Sept. 21, 2015 Macy's said it plans to hire about 85,000 seasonal workers for temporary jobs ahead of the holidays to meet expected higher demand.
  • By Staff Associated Press

| New York

Macy's Inc. plans to hire about 85,000 seasonal workers for temporary jobs ahead of the holidays to meet expected higher demand. That is about the same as a year ago.

The announcement comes as other retailers announce their hiring plans ahead of the holiday season. Many companies boost their workforces temporarily to meet increased demand. The pace of hiring at a retailer can serve as an indicator of expectations for the holiday shopping season, which accounts for 20 percent of the industry's annual sales, according to the National Retail Federation.

The positions will be filled at Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores, call centers, distribution centers and online fulfillment centers nationwide.

Specifically, about 12,000 of the 85,000 total seasonal positions will be based in direct-to-consumer fulfillment facilities that support sales generated by the company's omnichannel business strategy. About 1,600 people will be hired to interact with customers via telephone, email and online chat at customer service centers.

More than 1,000 people will be hired across the country to support the 88th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Santalands and other iconic holiday events.

Cincinnati, Ohio-based Macy's employs about 166,900 people on a year-round basis.

Elsewhere, retailer Kohl's Corp. has said it expects to hire more than 69,000 workers, up from 67,000 in the 2014 holiday season. Toys R Us plans to hire 40,000 people to work at stores and distribution centers around the country, which is down from 45,000 last holiday season.

FedEx expects to hire more than 55,000 people to help ship and deliver packages. That's above the 50,000 workers the Memphis, Tennessee, company said it would hire last holiday season.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports: "Customers are requesting more capacity, not less," said Mike Glenn, executive vice president, market development and corporate communications. "We view that as a good sign, and that's why we think we're well-positioned for another record peak."

FedEx hired about 50,000 seasonal workers last year for a peak season that saw about 290 million packages moved between Black Friday and Christmas Eve, including 22.6 million on the busiest day, Dec. 15.

The Atlanta-based UPS plans to hire between 90,000 to 95,000 employees from November to January, about the same amount as last year. UPS workers will help handle shipping and deliveries throughout the country.

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