Best Buy to hire half the usual amount of holiday workers
updated 04:55 pm EDT, Wed September 28, 2011
Best Buy to halve seasonal worker hiring spree
In a sign of a less busy holiday shopping season, Best Buy announced it will hire about half of the temporary workers it did in 2010 in the US. The exact numbers are 15,000 compared to 29,000 from 2010, according to a Tuesday report. It's not alone either, with a quarter of the retailers surveyed by the Hay Group stating they are hiring less seasonal workers.
Only 10 percent said they will hire more seasonal workers. Best Buy will pay overtime to permanent employees to fill up the extra hours that the temporary staff otherwise would.
"The consumer is being really careful about where he or she is spending the dollars, and I think that will continue through the holidays," said Best Buy Chief Executive Brian Dunn.
Best Buy will match lower prices from rivals such as Amazon and Walmart between November 13 and December 24, or the peak of the holiday shopping season. The exception is the period between November 24 and November 28, however.
A recent survey revealed that more than a quarter of Americans expect to spend less during the 2011 holidays.
