Triangle retailers ramp up holiday hiring

Belk has hired 1,400 people in North Carolina as of last week. Kohl's has put 50 more associates in each of its shops. And UPS, after underhiring last year, is on track to hire 589 people in Raleigh to handle loading, package sorting and driving. With Black Friday, the official start of the holiday shopping season, just days away, retailers say they're ready.

Belk is looking forward to a strong sales season, said Jessica Graham, a Belk spokeswoman. The store is opening at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, two hours earlier than last year, she said, and the Charlotte company is hiring 4,000 part-time associates nationwide.

While Belk's hiring is on par with last year, other stores have significantly increased their hiring, contributing to this season's record-breaking job numbers. Nationally, retail employment grew by 180,600 jobs in October, according to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is the largest net increase for the month since 1939, according to Challenger, Gray and Christmas, a global outplacement firm.

People have more money in their wallets to spend this holiday season, said John Challenger, the firm's CEO.

"The fact that retailers are hiring up this season means people are farther away from the debt they were under in the recession and less driven by that," he said. "Two million more people go to work each year. It's a signal for all that."

Retailers could hire 725,000 to 800,000 seasonal workers this holiday season, which could top the 768,000 people hired for the holiday retail boon last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

Bevello, a women's clothing boutique with a store in Chapel Hill, hired two or three seasonal associates who will work between Black Friday and after New Year's Day, said Chapel Hill store manager Lauren Martin.

"This will be a great holiday season for us," she said. "That's why it's better to be prepared - you can never have too many hands on deck. I'm taking on a couple extra (workers) and it's because of that optimism that we're going to need them."

Stores aren't the only ones hiring this season. With the growth in online sales, companies are adding staff to call centers and distribution warehouses and for deliveries.

UPS is hiring 2,695 seasonal employees in North Carolina, said spokesman Justin Luther. Nationally, the company is expected to add about 95,000 seasonal workers, almost double the number it hired last winter.

"(UPS) had some problems last year where they had under hired," Challenger said. "Their hiring is up significantly in part because the season's stronger, consumer confidence is stronger, more and more people each year become comfortable with shopping over the Internet through e-retail."

Its competitor, FedEx, is adding 400 seasonal employees in the Carolina and Piedmont region, said spokeswoman Bonny Harrison. She said a majority of the workers will be able to stay on after the holidays.

Kohl's expects to hire more than 67,000 total associates to its call centers, stores and distribution centers this season - an 11 percent increase from 2013.

Kory Lundberg, a spokesman for Walmart, said there is about a 25 percent chance of associates keeping their employment at Walmart beyond the holiday season. The company plans to add 60,000 jobs for the holidays, which is 10 percent more than last year.

"When the holiday's over, there's often some need for hiring in the store (and there is) someone who has demonstrated a great work ethic - it makes it much easier to fill the position," he said.

This story was originally published November 25, 2014 at 5:09 PM.