Holiday hiring could be better this year

Just 80 shopping days left until Christmas.

And for those looking for some extra work and cash this holiday season, you’re in luck.

This could be one of the best years for holiday hiring in over a decade.

“We’ve already started taking applications” said Jennifer Mayoemoto, team leader at Target in Colorado Springs. “My HR team works really hard every day. We’re just screening applications getting some interviews ready to roll for the next couple of weeks.”

Even with goblins and monsters on the shelves, retailers are thinking ahead.

“In any store that you’re in, we’ll do close to half of our year’s business in the fourth quarter,” she said.

Which could translate to more seasonal employment.

An annual survey by Challenger, Gray and Christmas, a firm specializing in career transitions, approximately 800,000 retail jobs to be added from now through December.

And some of those could be longer term.

“As permanent positions open – and they’re meeting their core expectations, there’s definitely team members at most stores that find permanent positions every single year,” Mayoemoto said.

Part of that surge could also be Black Friday.

The weekend might completely take over Thanksgiving this year, according to some retail industry experts.

Over the past few years, the after-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy has started earlier, with some stores opening as early as 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving last year.

Experts say some stores could stay open all day on Thanksgiving this year.

Stores aren’t expected to announce their Black Friday hours for another couple of weeks.