HAVE JOB WILL HIRE; LOW UNEMPLOYMENT SPURS STORES TO BOOST HIRING EFFORTS.Byline: Deborah Adamson Daily News Staff Writer Kristina Pace walked into a job fair at The Oaks mall last week and less than two hours later strode out with five offers. ``It was really easy,'' said the 24-year-old Newbury Park resident, who got offers from Robinsons-May, J.C. Penney, The Gap and two other retailers. She went with Robinsons-May, the highest payer among the five at $7 an hour, for a sales position this Christmas. J.C. Penney offered $6 and The Gap $5.50. Her secret to success? ``Just smile a lot and be well-groomed,'' she said. As the economy continues to improve both in California and nationally, the number of unemployed people Noun 1. unemployed people - people who are involuntarily out of work (considered as a group); "the long-term unemployed need assistance" unemployed plural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than one have dropped to their lowest levels this decade. That's proving to be a dilemma for many retailers this year. So they're offering higher wages, flexible schedules and other perks perk 1 v. perked, perk·ing, perks v.intr. 1. To stick up or jut out: dogs' ears that perk. 2. To carry oneself in a lively and jaunty manner. in their quest for Verb 1. quest for - go in search of or hunt for; "pursue a hobby" quest after, go after, pursue look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the extra seasonal help for the most lucrative selling season. Many retailers are even fanning out in the community, soliciting help from senior centers, charities, colleges and even the government to find a few good people. They're also advertising. For example, the number of ads in the Daily News for holiday jobs has increased 10 percent from year-ago levels. Like generals planning for a war, many retailers started their hiring plans early to make sure they will have enough staff for Christmas. Target stores, for example, started hiring in mid-August this year for Christmas, said a spokesman from parent Dayton Hudson Corp. in Minneapolis. ``This has been the hardest staffing year in many years,'' added Lois Kent, recruiting assistant at consumer electronics chain Good Guys Inc. in San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden . ``It's pretty difficult in all regions right now.'' That's not surprising, considering that unemployment rates are down to such low levels. In September, California's jobless rate was 6.3 percent, dipping from 7.1 percent a year ago and comparable to unemployment levels in late 1990. Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County's jobless rate was 6.6 percent, down from 8.1 percent a year ago. The state's unemployment rate hit its peak in late 1992 and early 1993, hovering hov·er intr.v. hov·ered, hov·er·ing, hov·ers 1. To remain floating, suspended, or fluttering in the air: gulls hovering over the waves. 2. around the 9.7 percent level. The county hit a high of 10.2 percent in 1994 and 1992. Ventura County mirrors these results with a 7.6 percent rate in September (not adjusted for seasonal fluctuations) vs. 8.2 percent a year ago. The county reached its peak jobless rate this decade in 1992, with a 10.2 percent rate. Nationally, unemployment dropped to 4.7 percent in October the lowest rate since October 1973, when it was 4.6 percent. ``There's not as many unemployed people looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. retail work,'' observed Dolores Dolores (or Delores) was a common given name (until the 1960s in the USA); it is cognate with the English word "dolorous" (meaning sorrowful) and equivalent in meaning. Brum, an employment services representative in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. for the state Employment Development Department, which organized the job fair. ``During the recession, when things were really tight, there were a lot of unemployed people,'' she added. But now, ``a lot of people have gone back to work.'' The two-day job fair at The Oaks drew 70 to 80 people, she said. In 1992, it attracted 177 people per day. Faced with a shrinking pool of available applicants, retailers are dangling a few more carrots this year to attract the best people. Target and Mervyn's, both owned by Dayton Hudson Corp., expanded its employee discount program to include all company stores. That means a Mervyn's sales clerk sales clerk n (US) → dependiente/a m/f sales clerk n (US) → commesso/a can get a discount at Target and at Dayton Hudson's other stores, such as the Marshall Field's Marshall Field's was an iconic Chicago, Illinois, department store that grew to become a major chain before being acquired by Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores on August 30, 2005. department store chain. The corporation also expanded its flexible work program, which allows retail employees to better balance their work and personal schedules. In some cities, Mervyn's raised its wages to remain competitive in the market. The retailer stepped up its hiring efforts as well, aggressively placing ads in local media, on the Internet and heavily recruiting at colleges. ``It's much more challenging to recruit and retain talent,'' said Mervyn's spokeswoman Carol Johnson Carol Alfred Johnson (1903 - 30 July 2000) was a British Labour politician. He was Member of Parliament for Lewisham South from 1959 until the general election of February 1974, when the constituency was abolished by boundary changes. References . ``It's very competitive out there.'' Sears, Roebuck and Co., based in Hoffman Estates Hoffman Estates A village of northeast Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Population: 49,700. , Ill., went a step further. Not only did the retailer try the regular channels for hiring, it also tapped senior citizens in local communities. Sears also made a deal with Detroit-area charities: If it hires someone they recommend, the retailer will donate up to $150 per person, depending on the number of hours they work. To make it easier for employees to get to a Sears store in a Detroit suburb, the retailer worked out a special holiday route with the city's transportation department to link the metropolitan areas directly to the store. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (Color) Marleny Aguilar sets up a display at an area Target store. The chain is among stores pressed to find holiday help. David Sprague/Daily News |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion