Halloween is still weeks away, but many retailers are already planning to make new hires for the holiday shopping season. John Challenger is CEO of the job placement firm Challenger, Gray, and Christmas. He says retailers are adding employees for the anticipated crush of shoppers:
"These big retailers are looking hard at numbers out there, trying to read the tea leaves. But these are big decisions they're making." - John Challenger, CEO, Challenger, Gray, and Christmas
Challenger says even if the jobs are temporary, they increase the buying power of consumers during the holiday shopping season. And he says the retail jobs also help bring the long-term unemployed back into the workforce.
Illinois Public Radio's Brian O'Keefe contributed to this report