Seasonal retail jobs not as plentiful this year

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As the holiday season approaches some people are thinking about picking up a seasonal job to help pay some end of the year bills, however, the usually reliable retail jobs may not be there as in years past.

At one time, a retail job at the mall during the holidays was as sure a bet as barbecues during summer. Not anymore.

“You go to a store right now and it’s 15-20 people for one job,” said Feild Mayes

Feild Mayes knows, the laid off worker has been applying for jobs for 8 months.

“Sometimes you just have to settle for a job just to pay bills,” said Mayes.

And at this point, settling for Mayes means seasonal employment, but he’s yet to hear back from a single retailer with his resume on file.

“Even when you go to Penney’s or Sears, you go out there and you stand in line and you put your application in and there’s so many people out there you try to push to get there and oversell yourself, but then you can’t oversell yourself because they think you’re over qualified for jobs,” Mayes said

“We’re hopeful to see more seasonal hiring this year,” said Robert Love.

Robert Love, with Workforce Solutions in McKinney, works to find people jobs.

He says any seasonal hiring may be an improvement over 2008’s numbers in Collin County.

Love says, “I’m going to say it was down about 60 percent somewhere around there.”

The 60 percent decrease reflects a national trend.

Right now Toy R Us is the only major retailer announcing it’s hiring.

The toy store is looking for 35,000 seasonal workers nationally. Mayes is hoping they’re looking for him.