Dive Brief:
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Home-improvement retailer Home Depot said Wednesday that it’s in the process of hiring more than 80,000 employees to handle its busy spring and summer gardening and home improvement season.
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The jobs will be in all areas of the stores and in warehouses and fulfillment areas. More than half the people hired for the busy season last year took permanent positions, and the seasonal hours accrue to their eligibility for benefits, the retailer said. In general, more than 70% of Home Depot store managers started out as hourly store workers.
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While rival home-improvement retailer Lowe’s last month that it would hire 15% more seasonal hires this year, the Home Depot’s announcement mirrors that of the past three years.
Dive Insight:
Until recently, home-improvement retailers Home Depot and Lowe’s have been cautious about hiring as spending remained iffy even as the recession ebbed. While Lowe’s is still adding to its seasonal hiring, that could be a reflection of its expansion. The Home Depot, meanwhile, appears to have hit its stride, keeping its hiring steady with its last three seasons; in 2012 it took on 70,000 seasonal workers and in 2011 60,000.
"There's no better time to join our team than spring, whether you're a college student, recent grad or a veteran hoping to build a career, a retiree who wants a fun job, or anyone who simply enjoys home improvement," Home Depot’s EVP of human resources Tim Crow said in a statement.
