Retail Job Market To Pick Up For Holiday Season

The holiday shopping season is just around the corner and while many of you might be thinking about bargains, it's the jobs that are on the minds of thousands of unemployed workers in the area.

At the Concord Mills mall, signs of life are returning to the job market and job seekers such as Noel Gabriel are hopeful after looking for a job for six months. “I used to work at a hair salon, and ever since I haven't been working there, it’s been very hard to find a job,” she said.

North Carolina's unemployment rate stands at 9.7 percent, but still, the chances of landing a job are better now than they were just a few months ago.

Elizabeth Brackett of Charlotte's Employers Association said, “We are getting a lot less phone calls when it comes to layoffs and cutting peoples hours and we're getting more calls about how to rehire people, how to bring them back from a layoff,” she said.

Books A Million is looking to hire 30 new workers to help with the holiday crowds, but job seekers are advised to apply now because the new positions aren't expected to last long.

Workers hired this time of year are often kept once the holiday season ends. At Off Broadway Shoes 10 positions are up for grabs.

“There's many times that we'll hire people for this time of the year, and you never know who's going to be somebody that we cannot just let go,” said Off Broadway Shoes General Manager Nate Feth.

“I know I'll find a job soon. I know I will. I'm not down yet. I just have to keep looking,” said Gabriel.