Holiday hiring hits record levels

Holiday hiring hit an all-time high in November, surpassing the previous record set five years ago. 

Retailers added 465,500 seasonal workers last month, up 21 percent over the same period a year ago, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. 

The three-month hiring season could be the strongest since 2000 if employers bring on more workers in December. 

"Despite all of the uncertainty, all the talk of fiscal cliffs, the widespread damage to retail epicenters on the east coast by Hurricane Sandy, and the continued growth of e-commerce, retailers are hiring holiday workers in record numbers,” said John Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger said in the Monday release. 

The previous record was 465,400 hires in November 2007. 

Hiring during the three-month holiday period could hit 760,000 this year, which would easily eclipse the 660,200 seasonal workers added during the same period a year ago.

Retailers added 147,600 a year ago, so matching that level this year would push the figure up near the 2000 mark of 788,100 seasonal workers.

"An early Thanksgiving and the fact that many retailers started the traditional Black Friday sales on Thursday may have contributed to strong early holiday sales and the need for additional workers," Challenger said. 

"Of course, more people working this holiday season could result in further retail sales gains as more Americans have more spending money in their pockets for gifts."

Meanwhile, October job gains in the retail sector were adjusted upward to 145,200 from the initially estimated 130,100, the analysis showed.

Retail employment grew by 610,700 in October and November, a gain of 19 percent from the 512,600 in the same two-month period a year ago.

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