Kohl’s kicks off holidays with plans to hire 53,000 workers

The holiday hiring season is upon us even as summer barbecues continue to sizzle, kicked off by Kohl’s Department Stores’ plans to hire 53,000 workers to handle demand through the end of the year.

The retailer said it expects to bring an average of 40 associates per store on board through Christmas. By the end of the month, Kohl’s will have 1,158 stores in 49 states.

That headcount doesn’t include the roughly 6,400 seasonal positions the chain hopes to fill at distribution centers. Another 350 temporary credit operations personnel will also be hired to help with Kohls.com orders.

Some positions have already been filled, while most of the rest will be filled by mid-November.

Included in the job description for seasonal associates: a few hours to more than 20 hours of work a week. Responsibilities such as truck unloading, freight processing, stocking and cash register duties.

Holiday hiring last year rose to its highest level in six years, according to data from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The 728,000 positions filled from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 represented a 10.3% surge from the prior year, despite hurdles such as Hurricane Sandy and the turmoil of a presidential election.

ALSO:

Retailers get early start on the holidays

At Target, shoppers scramble for 3.1 Phillip Lim bags

Wal-Mart, Toys R Us unveil hot toy lists, holiday initiatives