Seasonal hiring underway in Chicago, including Target, Macy's, Amazon
The holiday's almost here and not only will shoppers be looking for the best deals, but job seekers will also be on the hunt for those seasonal gigs.
One expert says you can expect to see a lot of job openings here in Chicago.
"For Chicago specifically, they said 52% of Chicago area companies were planning to increase contract talent over the course of the second half of 2026," said Derek Walsh, regional director of recruiting and employment agency Robert Half.
Big retail stores like Amazon, Macy's and Target have announced seasonal hiring.
Target says they're adding more than 4,300 seasonal team members across the Chicago area, with some roles being filled this month.
Amazon says they're creating 9,000 jobs here in the Chicagoland area for seasonal, part-time and full-time roles.
Walsh says unemployment numbers are near a historic low.
"For college-degreed workers, we're looking at a 2.5% unemployment rate. If you're looking at the national average, non-farmer, we're looking at a little over 4%."
Walsh says he understands there are some people who are skeptical that artificial intelligence is a job eliminator, but he says it's going to create different ways of doing work.
"With the adoption of artificial intelligence over the last couple of years, which we'll continue, we're starting to see more jobs where human discretion and thought and critical thinking are becoming now more important than ever."
For job seekers who feel like they're in a rut and struggling to find those gigs, Walsh says there are a few things that can be done, including highlighting transferable skills and the impact they can make.
"Your employers want to know that your history and your presence is what they would expect of anybody they would hire in that organization."
Macy's says candidates can apply in person on Thursday, Oct. 22, for the nationwide hiring event. The next one will be held on Thursday, Nov. 19.
Robert Half says, from an employment standpoint, there's more of an appetite to find people with specific skills that can make an impact with the company quickly.
