IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Anyone seeking a seasonal job during the upcoming holiday season might be facing an uphill battle.
While most major retail chains report that they will hire extra people this year, few have said they expect to hire more people than they did last year, according to a published report.
The level of holiday-related hiring during 2012 was the highest recorded nationwide in a dozen years, but this year’s holiday season is not likely to reach that level, according to the report, which cited a study released Monday by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago firm that tracks the country’s job market.
There could also be more online buying this year, which would further reduce the need for in-store hiring, according to the report.
However, internet shopping could give the Inland region a boost, because the region is home to a lot of major warehouse-distribution facilities.
Despite some signs of an improving economy, millions of Americans remain either unemployed or underemployed, which can create dramatic swings in consumer confidence.
That, in turn, creates shifts in spending patterns that are likely to spill over into the holiday retail season, according to the report.
Last year, the number of residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties with retail jobs jumped from about 160,000 in September to more than 171,000 in December, according to the report.
