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Holiday hiring: These 9 companies need to fill 500,000 jobs right now

By Mike Timmermann
By Mike Timmermann

If you’re looking to earn some extra money to pay for holiday presents this year, major retailers and shipping companies are ready to make you a job offer!

And with the shift to online shopping, you may even be able to land a seasonal gig that will let you work from home.

Although companies like Walmart and Kohl’s are choosing to offer current employees extra hours instead of relying heavily on temporary workers, others are going on a holiday hiring spree — with 500,000 jobs up for grabs.

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Amazon, UPS, Target among those hiring for 2017 holiday season

Amazon — 120,000 jobs

Amazon says it needs to fill more than 120,000 jobs in the U.S. this holiday season. Most of them will be in fulfillment centers, sortation centers and customer service sites.

Positions are available in the following states:

Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin

Some of these positions are expected to be transitioned to regular, full-time roles after the holidays.

The e-commerce giant also posted work-from-home customer service jobs last month, but they appear to have been filled. Check https://amazon.jobs periodically for new postings.

UPS — 95,000 jobs

Shipping companies are going to be busier than ever this holiday season because more people are shopping online. UPS plans to add 95,000 seasonal employees to support the increase in package volume from November through January.

UPS has full-time and part-time positions available for package handlers, drivers and driver-helpers. Read more at upsjobs.com.

FedEx — 50,000 jobs

Temporary workers are also part of FedEx's holiday game plan. In addition to increasing hours for some existing employees, the company expects to add more than 50,000 positions leading up to the peak season.

Target  — 100,000 jobs

Some Target associates are getting an early Christmas present! The retailer just raised its minimum hourly wage for all team members to $11, including 100,000 seasonal hires.

All Target stores are holding in-store hiring events from October 13-15. Here's how to apply.

J.C. Penney — 40,000 jobs

Despite closing nearly 140 stores earlier this year, J.C. Penney is adding 40,000 holiday jobs. It's holding a hiring event in stores on October 17. Management will conduct in-person interviews and make on-the-spot offers.

Like many of the other retail opportunities, J.C. Penney has a 25% employee discount. Read more at jcpcareers.com.

Macy’s — 80,000 jobs

Macy's Inc. plans to hire about double the number of seasonal associates as J.C. Penney. Approximately 80,000 people are needed for positions at Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores, call centers and distribution/fulfillment centers.

The retailer says most of the holiday positions are part-time, often with flexibility to fit the employee’s schedule.

Toys R Us — 12,000 jobs

Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection isn't stopping Toys R Us from hiring part-time employees to support stores and distribution centers during the busiest time of the year for toy sales.

These are the markets with the largest seasonal hiring needs:

  • New York, NY – more than 3,800 jobs
  • Los Angeles, CA – more than 2,400 jobs
  • Groveport, OH – more than 2,400 jobs (DHL Supply Chain Fulfillment Center)
  • Philadelphia, PA – more than 1,400 jobs
  • Chicago, IL – more than 1,100 jobs
  • Boston, MA – more than 950 jobs

In addition to store and distribution center gigs, you can work from home! Acticall Sitel Group, Toys R Us' customer service partner, is hiring more than 900 dedicated work-at-home agents. Apply here.

Michaels — 15,000 jobs

Ready to get crafty? Michaels is hiring 15,000 people for various seasonal positions at its U.S. and Canadian stores and distribution centers, the retailer announced.

Last year, more than 50% of holiday positions transitioned to regular roles after the first of the year.

1-800-Flowers.com — 8,000 jobs

1-800-FLOWERS.COM Inc. needs 8,000 associates for open positions across its gourmet food brands, including Harry & David, Cheryl’s Cookies and The Popcorn Factory.

Available jobs will vary by brand and include full-time and part-time roles in the following areas:

  • Production
  • Gift assembly
  • Retail stores
  • Call center
  • Distribution
  • Fulfillment center

Most of the seasonal positions are being offered in Illinois, Ohio and Oregon. Apply now online.

Work-from-home seasonal jobs

If you'd like a job with the flexibility to work remotely, FlexJobs says companies like Pearson, CVS Health, HSN, Nordstrom and the Walt Disney Company have been hiring lately.

Lots of these positions are in the customer service and sales fields, but there are also event planning and data entry opportunities.

If you're serious about finding a stay-at-home job, you may want to consider a short-term subscription to FlexJobs, which starts at $14.95 for a month.

Yes, the service costs a few bucks — but it filters out all of the scam job postings.

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