Toys R Us Hiring 45,000 for Christmas

Toys R Us will increase its seasonal hiring by by nearly 30% this year, adding 45,000 new workers nationwide for the holidays, the company announced today.

In the past three seasons, the store brought on 35,000 workers but it increasing that number this year because of its plans to open 600 pop-up stores nationwide. During the regular year, Toys R Us has about 45,000 employees on staff.

The announcement comes a week after Macy’s said it would bring on 65,000 workers this holiday season, a 3% to 3.5% increase in staffing over last year.

“Toys R Us is a classic destination for Christmas shopping, and one of the ways we differentiate ourselves is by employing and training associates who can make sound toy buying recommendations based on a child’s specific needs and interests,” said Dan Caspersen, executive vice president, human resources for Toys“R”Us, Inc. “We’re pleased that we can create thousands of new jobs as we double our workforce nationwide in preparation for another busy shopping season in our stores.”

Of the total hired, 35,000 will staff the company’s 587 traditional stores. The remainder will be assigned to the Toys R Us Express stores in malls and other shopping centers.

Jobs ranges from managers and sales associates to back-of-house stock employees and distribution center crews. For more information and to apply, go to the Toys R Us careers website.

John Challenger, chief executive of Challenger, Gray and Christmas, an international outplacement firm that tracks hiring, estimated 500,000 to 600,000 people would be hired for the holidays this year. At the low end, that would be about the same as last year. If 600,000 are hired, it would be a 20% increase.

Either would be better than the 2008 season, after the Wall Street meltdown that fall, when only only 384,300 holiday workers were hired.