Macy’s to hire for seasonal jobs in Chicago

Posted on October 2, 2012

Department store Macy’s said this week it is recruiting heavily for seasonal jobs in Chicago, among other locations.

The company plans on hiring 80,000 seasonal associates for its Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores, call centers, distribution centers and online fulfillment centers.

The people will be brought on for the holiday rush.

These numbers are up 2,000 from the previous holiday season where the company hired about 78,000 people.

Macy’s described the job duties these people will be fulfilling. Seasonal associates at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s serve customers on the selling floor, work in store operations positions, interact with customers via the telephone in call centers, and staff the distribution and fulfillment centers that coordinate shipments to stores and directly to customers who buy online.

Most of the positions are part time. Some have the potential to become full-time after the season is over.

“Macy’s traditionally implements one of the most robust holiday hiring programs in American retailing, and that will be the case again in 2012. Hiring additional associates for holidays ensures that our customers are well-served in this busy shopping period – both on the sales floor and behind the scenes,” said Terry J. Lundgren, Macy’s, Inc. chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Moreover, our seasonal positions help a wide range of Americans earn extra money. In many cases, these are students working to help pay tuition, retirees seeking to remain active and individuals wanting to supplement their income.”

Candidates who submit applications online will receive a response via email. Hiring for store sales positions will begin in mid-October. The company has already begun hiring for sales support positions, such as in distribution centers, call centers and store receiving.

“I often hear stories from our holiday associates about the fun they have working at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s at the holidays,” Lundgren said. “Our stores and websites are busy places and the pace is fast. But it is a magical time of year, and helping customers select gifts from Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s is a special experience that generations of associates have enjoyed and found rewarding.”

Macy’s, Inc. employs about 175,000 associates.

Macy’s, Inc., with corporate offices in Cincinnati and New York, is one of the nation’s premier retailers, with fiscal 2011 sales of $26.4 billion. The company operates about 840 department stores in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico under the names of Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, as well as the macys.com and bloomingdales.com websites. The company also operates 11 Bloomingdale’s Outlet stores.