CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Macy's Inc. announced on Tuesday it plans to hire about 83,000 workers nationwide for the 2016 Christmas and holiday shopping season, including 6,900 at its stores and distribution center in Ohio.
The openings, slightly less than the 85k in 2015 and the 86k in 2014 will be spread among its 880 Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores, as well as its call centers, distribution centers, and online fulfillment centers nationwide.
In Ohio, about 2,500 of the jobs will in stores, and 4,400 jobs will be at Macy's distribution and call center in Cincinnati.
Macy's, based in Cincinnati and New York, announced last month that it is closing 100 of its 728 Macy's stores, starting in early 2017, but has not announced which locations it will shutter.
Macy's is holding its first national holiday hiring day on Friday, Sept. 30, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. local time at all of its Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Macy's Backstage stores. Job-seekers should apply in advance online, which lists current openings and details about interviews.
"However our customers connect with us – in stores, online and mobile, or over the phone – Macy's and Bloomingdale's shoppers have come to appreciate the higher level of our staffing and service throughout the Christmas and holiday season, and our associates love the merchandise discount and income-earning opportunities at this special time of the year," Macy's Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Terry J. Lundgren said in an announcement.
"We first offer our current associates the opportunity to work extra hours over the holidays, and then supplement our ongoing workforce with seasonal hires. This significant increase in staffing allows us to provide additional service to customers, however they engage with us."
All seasonal workers qualify for a 20 percent on most merchandise purchases, Macy's said.
Holiday employees work on the selling floor at Macy's and Bloomingdale's, in store operations, via call centers, and in the distribution and fulfillment centers that ship to stores or send purchases directly to customers.
Most seasonal jobs are part-time, and many positions require evenings, weekends, and sometimes overnight shifts. Temporary workers are sometimes offered permanent jobs based on their skills and performance during the holiday season.
"Especially at the holidays, we employ students working during break to help pay tuition, retirees seeking to remain active, and individuals from many walks of life wanting to supplement their income and benefit from receiving a merchandise discount on their purchases," Lundgren said in a statement.
"We have many examples of associates who started with us in temporary seasonal positions and stayed to enjoy a long and fulfilling career with our company. Seasonal employment is often an opportunity to get to know potential future employees and to identify talent that we can recruit as needs arise," he added.
