SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - ’Tis the season to be hiring - if Pioneer Valley manufacturers, retailers and delivery companies expect to meet demand this holiday season.
Here and nationally, delivery companies like FedEx, the U.S. Postal Service and UPS are hiring to meet a large expected demand generated by today’s e-economy and the popularity of online shopping. The Postal Service alone is looking for 700 seasonal employees in Western Massachusetts.
“You need people who can take that order, if it’s online, on the phone or in person, and turn that into a purchase with a delivered product and a happy customer. I think for this season we are feeling optimistic,” said David Gadaire, president and CEO of CareerPoint, a job center in Holyoke. “The economy feels better. There is more churn. It certainly feels like there will be more positions available in the next few months.”
While temporary and expected to conclude around the first or second week of January, seasonal holiday jobs can be a lifeline to struggling families looking for more income and are an opportunity for those looking for work.
“It’s a foot in the door,” Gadaire said. “And it is a chance to learn skills that can help fill out your resume.”
He said many teenagers from CareerPoint’s summer youth employment program have already been called back by their employers for the holiday rush.
Nationally, retail hiring for Christmas is expected to remain unchanged from a year ago with about 700,000 jobs added, according to projections from consultants Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.
Transportation and warehousing employment increased by 200,500 across the country in November 2015, the firm said, quoting data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. A decade ago, the seasonal job gains for this sector measured just 42,400, the firm said as a way of pointing out how much more online commerce there is today.
The Postal Service, which a has a deal to deliver packages for online megaretailer Amazon.com, is looking for 1,430 temporary workers to fill holiday jobs in this region, which covers Connecticut, Rhode Island and most of Massachusetts outside Boston, said spokeswoman Christine Dugas.
Nationally, the Postal Service plans to hire between 35,000 and 40,000 seasonal workers to process and deliver holiday cards and packages. Of those, 700 workers are needed at the Bulk Mail Facility on Fiberloid Street in Springfield’s Indian Orchard neighborhood.
The Postal Service needs 150 mail handlers for Fiberloid and another 150 clerks. Mail handlers make $12 an hour, clerks make $16. Elsewhere, the Postal Service needs drivers, who earn $17 an hour but need a commercial driver’s license.
Nationally, UPS is set to hire 95,000 for the holidays and has job openings listed in West Springfield, Springfield and South Deerfield on its website.
FedEX says it will hire 50,000 for the holiday rush and also has job openings listed in West Springfield.
Yankee Candle will hire about 300 seasonal employees for its retail flagship store and for its factory, both in South Deerfield, said spokeswoman Shelley Hazlett. She said those numbers are about equal with last year.
Tricia Canavan, president of United Personnel, said Yankee Candle staffs up early to get its products manufactured and shipped.
“They are shipping things now for the holidays,” Canavan said.
Despite Challenger, Gray & Christmas’ prediction of stable, though not growing, holiday hiring, Canavan agreed with Gadaire that demand for seasonal workers will be higher locally than it was last year. Canavan said it’s part of an overall increasing demand for labor.
“I think certainly across the board we are seeing hiring very strong,” she said.
Among retailers, Target has plans to add 70,000 retail workers and 7,500 people in its distribution facilities, Challenger, Gray & Christmas said.
Kohl’s, with stores in Springfield and West Springfield, plans to hire 69,000 seasonal workers nationally, according to the corporation.
Bon-Ton stores are seeking to hire 13,000 associates nationwide. Bon-Ton has a location in Westfield, according to a news release from the store.
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Information from: The Springfield (Mass.) Republican, https://www.masslive.com/news/
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