A recent report by the National Retailer Federation states that hiring of seasonal employees for the upcoming holiday sales season will be average. The holiday season is characterized as the months on November and December when sales for retail stores increase in the holidays. The federation also predicts sales will be up but not as much as the holiday season last year.

The federation predicts retailers will hire between  480,000 to 500,000 seasonal employees. This is on par with the 495,000 hired last year.  Retailers bring in extra help because of increased sales and volume in consumer traffic in stores.  The numbers are still better than the 2009 season when 324,000 workers were hired.

Uncertainty will impact spending as consumer confidence and the amount of disposable cash buyers have will determine success for retailers.  Holiday retail sales are expected to increase by 2.8% to $465.6 billion but this  is less than the 5.2% increase retailers had last year. This is still   slightly higher than the ten-year average holiday sales increase of 2.6 percent

Although these jobs are temporary, there are advantages to getting one. For people out of work looking for employment, it may be the best way to find a job at this time of year. It is good as a second job for people needing extra income during the holidays. Retailers often provide employee discounts which are helpful in the holiday season. Some may be retained after the holidays if they are needed. Even if someone is laid off, they have experience to put on an application and an extra reference for their continued job search.