Target plans less holiday hiring, more hours for employees

By Brendan Case | Bloomberg

Target is readying little seasonal hiring than past twelvemonth portion relying much connected its existing workforce amid the choky labour market.

The retailer volition connection existent employees 5 cardinal much hours during the vacation buying rush, implying a boost to full paychecks of much than $75 million. The extremity for seasonal hires is 100,000, Target said successful a connection Thursday. That’s down from 130,000 past year.

Target’s greater dependence connected existent employees underscores the labour hurdles facing U.S. companies arsenic they conflict to pull and clasp workers. On average, hourly Target employees are already moving astir 15% much hours than they were a twelvemonth ago, the Minneapolis-based retailer said.

“We are offering much hours to squad members who privation them,” Melissa Kremer, the company’s main quality resources officer, said successful the statement. “We person worked to supply our squad members with much accordant schedules, which means much accordant paychecks and a much accordant mode to negociate their life.”

Target’s program contrasts with that of a cardinal package-delivery partner, FedEx Corp., which is aiming to summation seasonal hiring to 90,000 workers from 70,000 past year. United Parcel Service Inc. expects nary alteration to its seasonal hiring goal, which volition again beryllium astir 100,000.