IT'S EMPLOYER'S MARKET DESPITE OPTIMISM, RETAILERS LIMITING THEIR SEASONAL HIRING.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

Though retailers are already gearing up for the holiday shopping season, they're not planning to increase staffing much beyond last year's levels.

Retail watchers are optimistic that this year's fourth quarter will turn out better than last year's disappointment, but major chains remain cautious in their hiring. Deloitte expects a 5 percent sales increase, up sharply from 2002's scant 2.2 percent rise. Yet, David Unter, a senior manager of consumer business for the professional-services company, said retailers learned how to get by with reduced staffing after two years of weak sales.

``I haven't seen my clients running out to spend a ton of money on extra staff,'' Unter said. ``They'll have to bring on more staff, but it'll be slightly up, because with the slowdown, they've leveraged the work force better. They'll maintain their profitability and cost-consciousness efforts.''

Major chains like Target and Limited Brands, operator of The Limited, Express and Victoria's Secret, still plan to bring on thousands of extra workers, but not more than in past years. Sears spokesman Chris Brathwaite said the department store's 30,000 to 35,000 seasonal jobs would be slightly fewer than the number in years past.

``It's down slightly, only because in the last few years we've revamped the business model,'' he said. ``We put more associates in places in the store (where) people told us they needed more assistance and (fewer) in other areas.''

J.C. Penney was one of the few major retailers to enjoy a strong holiday season in 2002, but company officials don't anticipate adding more than the normal complement of around 30,000 seasonal employees. With unemployment at 6.1 percent nationally and 7.9 percent in Los Angeles, the chain finds itself with a large pool of talented applicants as about 9 million Americans hunt for jobs.

``We've already started looking, and we'll start increasing in mid-October,'' said Quinton Crenshaw, a spokesman for the Plano, Texas- based chain. ``We've got an in-store setup, a 24-hour job hotline, and you can apply online. It's quite competitive right now, and all retailers are drawing from the same pool. It's because of the unemployment, and there's a lot of people out there with retail experience now.''

The local market will be somewhat fattened this year after the March opening of 28 Kohl's stores throughout Southern California, though officials in the Wisconsin-based chain could not provide figures for how many seasonal positions will be added.

Brandon Robinson, a 20-year-old Van Nuys resident, finds himself in the competitive applicant pool. After leaving a job in telemarketing several months ago, he has searched hard for work - filling out forms at Home Depot, Fry's and Target. The National Retail Federation says seasonal hiring added 700,000 jobs to the work force in 2002, so there will be plenty of new hires soon.

``I hope I can be one of them,'' Robinson said, using one of the Van Nuys Target's computer kiosks to apply. ``I have five interviews, so I think I'll get something soon. I'm looking at clerical work and stocking. I need some money, and I need to start something soon.''

The bleak employment scene across other sectors has changed the retail labor pool, however. The usual crowd of students and retirees will be competing with both seasoned retail workers and those displaced from all other sectors.

``There's enough people out there, so this year retailers will be pretty pleased with the crowd they get,'' said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. ``You'll find former professionals, people coming out of the government sector, and you still have downsizing in motion pictures, so you'll see a lot of people out of Hollywood looking for a little extra money.''

Yukiko Olachea, an 18-year-old Van Nuys resident, has been on the hunt since graduating from high school this summer. She has applied for so many retail jobs that she has lost track of the number, but thinks the holiday rush will bring added opportunity. Her local Target's job board announced available positions in cart-attendant work, asset protection, back-room work, trailer unloading and managerial duties, and any sounded fine with her.

``It doesn't matter, as long as I get money,'' she said. ``I've applied everywhere, so when more people come shopping, I hope it'll get easier.''

Brent Hopkins, [phone]

brent.hopkins(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) With the major shopping season approaching, many retailers, such as this Target store in Van Nuys, are hiring.

(2 -- color) Job seekers submit applications via computer at the Target store in Van Nuys. There's a larger-than-usual labor pool.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer