Early indications are that many companies will hire fewer short-term workers for the holiday season than they did last year.
An estimate from Challenger, Gray & Christmas puts holiday hires at 700,000 as retailers ramp up from September to December. That's down from 750,000 last year.
The hiring number is watched closely by economists, and is directly affected by the strength of the economy, said Steve Hine, a labor market economist at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
"It sure did reflect the impact of the recent recession," Hine said. "September to December, we used to typically see 20,000 additional jobs in Minnesota."
The biggest bump was in 1999, when Minnesota retailers added 21,200 retail jobs. In 2008, retail hiring in the state hit its nadir, about 5,000.
Each year since, the numbers have gradually improved, though hiring has still not returned to prerecession levels.
Rising consumer confidence "ought to bode well for hiring" in general, Hine said.
Adam Belz • 612-673-4405 • Twitter: @adambelz
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