More than 15,000 seasonal workers to be hired for holiday season

Published 10:20 am Thursday, October 8, 2015

OLYMPIA – Washington retailers will hire more than 15,000 seasonal workers throughout the fall holiday season, according to economists with the state’s Employment Security Department.

Last year, employers hired 14,753 additional workers, which was about 2.5 percent lower than Employment Security’s prediction. In Bremerton, the number dropped from 465 in 2014 to a forecast of 421 in 2015.

“Sales growth, particularly during the holiday season, has remained steady over recent years,” said Paul Turek, an economist with the department. “An improving jobs picture has supported consumer spending and should lead to a positive retail season in Washington.”

The department’s labor economists say the bulk of the seasonal hiring will be in general merchandise stores, adding 8,064 jobs, up 37 positions from the same period last year. Clothing and clothing-accessory stores expect to hire 3,929 holiday workers, also up 195 workers from 2014.

Nationally, seasonal employment gains are expected to be about the same as a year ago, with retailers projected to add some 755,000 hires to their payrolls from October through December.

Job seekers can search for positions at go2worksource.com.