Wal-Mart to hire more than 3,200 seasonal workers in state

The approaching holiday season means area retailers are preparing to hire temporary staff to help handle the expected crush of shoppers.

Wal-Mart announced Thursday it will hire more than 3,200 seasonal workers in California. The retail giant said it typically brings on additional help after offering current employees the chance to request extra hours. Many of the temporary sales associates, cashiers and stockers continue on as full-time employees, Wal-Mart said.

“From San Jose to San Diego and everywhere in between, we’re committed to giving our customers an excellent shopping experience this holiday season,” Chester Tray, regional general manager for Wal-Mart in Northern California, said in a statement.

The temporary workers will join nearly 90,000 people employed by Wal-Mart in California.

In Merced County, Wal-Mart has stores in Merced, Atwater and Los Banos.

The additional jobs could mean even better news for the county’s unemployment rate, which dipped below double digits earlier this year for the first time in nearly a decade. Last month, unemployment in Merced County fell to 8.2 percent, the lowest since 2007.

Several other companies are also expected to add seasonal or temporary positions over the holidays.

This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Wal-Mart to hire more than 3,200 seasonal workers in state."