JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Companies that would typically hire seasonal workers are heading into the holidays during what consumer experts say is one of the tightest job markets in decades.
Many stores are struggling to hire the new employees they need to handle the anticipated crowds, which usually begin around Black Friday.
At Men’s Wearhouse in the St. Johns Town Center, store manager Selena Morales says business is booming -- especially when it comes to dressing men for weddings.
“I feel like we have been triple booking the amount of weddings we’re normally used to, especially due to the pandemic,” Morales said.
But with the holiday shopping season nearing, the store is expecting even more traffic through its door.
“At this location, specifically, we’re looking to hire 10 part-time employees,” Morales said.
Companywide, Men’s Wearhouse is hiring both full and part-time positions, but it’s having a difficult time filling those jobs despite offering to hire people on the spot.
Men’s Wearhouse is not alone.
Other stores at the mall and around Jacksonville also need to hire help, but they’re having a hard time getting new employees. Examples include:
- The Jacksonville Nordstrom store needs to fill 36 positions. A manager told News4Jax they’re offering $14 an hour for some positions.
- Dillard’s has 17 jobs available at its stores in Jacksonville and Orange Park.
- JCPenney has 25 opening at its stores in Jacksonville and Orange Park.
- Duluth Trading Company in Jacksonville has three positions available, one of which is a seasonal store associate position that pays $12 an hour.
- Kohl’s has 15 job openings at its stores in Jacksonville. Eleven of those jobs are seasonal.
Back at the Men’s Wearhouse, Morales is just hoping to quickly hire folks and get them trained before the shopping season kicks into full gear.
“I’m hoping folks go to MensWearhouse.com, the career section and apply. Definitely. We’re hoping that we get some more people in the door fast,” she said.
To snap up available workers as fast as it can, UPS is trying a new tactic: Hire in 30 minutes or less. Taking too long to hire can mean an applicant may go elsewhere. So the company has nearly done away with interviews, and does the whole hiring process online.
FedEx has said it needs 90,000 holiday workers this year, 20,000 more than last year. Others are hiring around the same levels as last year: Amazon, UPS and Walmart, each of which is currently trying to hire 100,000 people or more.
Target said it will hire 100,000 holiday workers this year, about 30,000 less than last year, but will give 5 million additional hours to its existing workforce, potentially pumping $75 million more into workers’ paychecks. Target employees are already working nearly 15% more than last year, but the retailer said they are asking for more hours.
Target, which already pays workers at least $15 an hour, is planning to give store workers an extra $2 an hour if they work weekends and other busy days closer to Christmas.
Craig Rowley, who works at the retail and consumer goods team at management consulting firm Korn Ferry, said if employers can’t find the workers they need, online orders could take longer because there won’t be enough people to pack orders or deliver them, especially as it gets closer to Christmas and more shoppers head online. And stores are likely to do away with late night or overnight hours since retailers will want their existing staff to work when stores are busiest.
“You’re not going to see the wild extended hours because they just can’t staff it,” Rowley said.