Need a job in Merced during the holidays? One major retailer is hiring; another isn’t

Need a seasonal job in Merced during the holidays?

Walmart announced today it won’t be hiring seasonal workers this year, opting instead to meet the extra needs during the shopping season by giving its current employees more hours.

However retail rival Target last week announced plans to hire 100,000 temporary holiday workers.

While it’s unclear exactly how many of those jobs will be available at the company’s locations in Merced County, its hiring plan is up sharply from last year’s seasonal job offerings.

Target will hold recruiting events next month and applicants could be interviewed and, the company has said, could even be hired on the spot. The company already is accepting applications online.

Meanwhile, reports indicate Walmart’s decision is a symptom of a tightening labor market with millions of job openings remaining unfilled. More than 600,000 of those jobs were in retail.

Walmart, the country’s largest private-sector employer, also has made efforts in recent years to up the pay for its workers to slow employee turnover.

This story was originally published September 20, 2017 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Need a job in Merced during the holidays? One major retailer is hiring; another isn’t."