Holidays Loom, Seasonal Job Seekers Find Gloom

by Mark Hedlund
News10.net

Sacramento, CA - With more people unemployed and retailers cutting back, those looking for seasonal jobs are finding slim pickings.

Frank Chavez says he's tried everything he can think of: big box retailers, independent stores, grocery outlets, warehousing. In the past four weeks, the 20-year-old Sacramento college student has filled out 50 applications with no luck so far.

"Either you don't get a call back or they're just not looking for whatever you have to offer, I guess," said Chavez after a job interview at an Arden Fair Mall kiosk stand for Rosetta Stone language software. "A lotta people are looking for jobs, lotta people looking for second jobs. A couple of interviews I've had, they've been group interviews of anywhere from five to probably 20 (applicants)."

A recent nationwide survey by Manpower Inc. shows 13 percent of employers plan to cut personnel in the fourth quarter, the highest percentage of job cuts for that time period in the past five years. Accordingly, those expecting to add workers in the fourth quarter, 22 percent, is also the lowest in five years.

Chavez is seeing the statistics firsthand.

"I think they're still hiring. but I definitely think they're cutting back, not so many workers, not so many new workers at least at that," he said. "Maybe (they're) just giving more hours to the guys, the people that have been there with them." Many retail managers at stores in Arden Fair say they hope to hire seasonal workers, but don't yet know how many positions they'll get. Almost all stores in the mall are outlets of corporate chains. Some are local, most are national chains.

"We just had our managers' meeting. We will be hiring, probably in most of our stores, an employee or two for the holidays," said Tom Carson of Devon's Jewelers. He said the company cut back on purchasing inventory during the year so it could buy more in preparation for the holidays.

"It's difficult. We don't know now, from what's happening with this bailout package. You know the two weeks before we thought everything was fine. And we still think it is," said Carson. "But you, the media and other people say something, and we're not sure. (There's) a little doubt."

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