Kohl’s to boost holiday hiring by 21 percent this year, hiring has begun

Kohl’s boosts holiday hiring by 21 percent in 2010

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl’s Corp. is increasing its holiday hiring this season by 21 percent, another major retailer to boost its employee count this winter.

The department store chain said Wednesday it expects to hire more than 40,000 people this season, up from 33,000 last year.

It plans to hire an average of 35 employees per store at 1,089 stores.

Kohl’s also expects to hire 2,200 people at distribution centers and 60 people at credit operations.

The Menomonee Falls, Wis., company said seasonal workers can work from a few hours to more than 20 per week.

Hiring has begun and most jobs will be filled by the middle of November.

Macy’s, Toys R Us, Pier 1, American Eagle Outfitters and Borders Group Inc. plan to hire more temporary holiday workers this year than last, emboldened by months of sales gains and a slowly improving economy.

Retailers will add between 550,000 and 650,000 jobs this holiday season, according to an updated forecast from the national outsourcing firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. That’s significantly more than the 501,400 added last year. But it’s still well below the 720,800 added in 2007, just before the recession began.

The jobs are temporary, and the amount of new hires may not be enough to bring down the jobless rate, which stands at nearly 10 percent.