Gap Inc. has joined the league of retailers looking at bringing new workforce to ease the stress of the upcoming holiday season.
Companies gain a major chunk of their sales during this season that comprises Black Friday, Christmas and New Year. The fashion giant plans to hire 30,000 seasonal workers, down from 65,000 workers it had planned for 2018.
A Gap spokeswoman said that the reason behind hiring a lower number of seasonal workers is to give current employees the opportunity to pick up more hours.
The long-standing US-China trade war and failing retail scenario has retailers tread carefully in the current environment. The hiring plans are often an indication of sales expectations and companies are looking to be as cost efficient as possible.
Even Target has showed a decrease in hiring with only an 8 per cent rise to 130,000 seasonal number from last year, as compared to a 20 per cent increase in 2018 and a 43 per cent rise in 2017.
Retail jobs have taken a massive hit to reach their lowest this August, since January 2016, after a steady decline for 7 months.
Gap said it would host a one-day event on 5 October at all its stores, as well as select distribution and customer centres across the United States and Canada to hire as many as 5,000 work associates as a part of the holiday hiring plan.
