Sep 30, 2010

Holiday jobs on upswingBy Cassandra MickensClarionLedger.com

A recent spike in retail sales could also mean a spike in seasonal holiday hiring, a recent national study suggests.

Retailers will add 664,300 jobs nationally this season, up from 501,400 in 2009 and 324,900 in 2008, according to a Challenger, Gray & Christmas survey released this month.

But a recent study by Manpower Inc. predicts a majority of businesses, 75 percent, in Mississippi plan to keep employment at the same level through the final quarter.

Bridgette Iupe, owner of Bridgette’s Monograms & Gifts in Jackson, is among those. She said she has hired two to three seasonal workers in past years, but the tight economy has prompted her to maintain her staff.

“I already have a good crew, therefore, I won’t need to hire this holiday season,” Iupe said. “With the economy as it is, I don’t think I’ll need any more people.”

Iupe employs six people with one of those working full time.

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