Increasing holiday sales should create more sales jobs in Phoenix (Click here) this year.
A recent report from the National Retail Federation is predicting that holiday sales will increase once again this year, allowing retailers to hire hundreds of thousands of seasonal workers, which is great news for the millions of unemployment people throughout the U.S.
The NRF is predicting that holiday sales will increase by 2.8 percent to $465.6 billion this year. The projected increase is considered average compared to last year’s sales growth of 5.2 percent.
“Retailers are optimistic that a combination of strong promotions and lean inventory levels will help them address consumer caution this holiday season,” Matthew Shay, president and CEO of NRF, said in a statement. “While businesses remain concerned over the viability of the economic recovery, there is no doubt that the retail industry is in a better position this year to handle consumer uncertainty than it was in 2008 and 2009.”
Although retail sales have increased for the last 14 months in a row, consumers are still concerned about the stock market, higher gas and food prices, fiscal policy, and stagnant job growth – all of which could impact holiday spending this year.
“Just when you think the U.S. economy is turning around, another factor comes into play that changes the game,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz, Ph.D., said. “Persistently high unemployment, an erratic stock market, modest income growth and rising consumer prices are all combining to impact spending this holiday season. How Americans will react to shaky economic data is the question, but the good news for retailers is that shoppers have not yet thrown in the towel.”
The projected increase in sales should push retailers to hire anywhere between 480,000 and 500,000 seasonal workers this holiday season, which is similar to the 495,000 seasonal workers hired last year.
“The hundreds of thousands of jobs created during the holiday season help people support their families by supplementing their household income and providing generous employee discounts,” Shay said. “As the retail industry bounces back from the recession and continues to add jobs, some holiday employees could find themselves with an opportunity for even more: a new career in one of the most innovative industries on the planet.”
Tags: Sales jobs in Phoenix