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Fifty-eight Percent of Hiring Managers Plan to Recruit Seasonal Employees in the Fourth Quarter

One-in-Four Plan to Offer Higher Paychecks

CHICAGO, October 12, 2005 - Fifty-eight percent of hiring managers surveyed by CareerBuilder.com said they’re going to need extra hands on deck in the fourth quarter to meet increased business demands associated with the holidays and end-of-the-year wrap-ups. Twenty-eight percent expect to increase pay levels for seasonal employees over last year, while only 6 percent plan to decrease them. The survey, "Seasonal Hiring 2005," was conducted prior to the events surrounding hurricanes Katrina and Rita from August 10 to August 22, 2005 and included over 875 hiring managers across all industries nationwide.

The most popular positions identified for seasonal recruitment include retail, hospitality, shipping/delivery, administrative/clerical, customer service, food preparation and sales. While 28 percent of hiring managers expect to hire less than 10 seasonal workers, 15 percent plan to hire more than 50 workers and nearly one-in-ten plan to hire over 100 workers.

Pay scales are projected to increase for seasonal employees with 31 percent of hiring managers expecting to pay $10 or more per hour and 12 percent expecting to pay $15 or more per hour. Thirty-six percent of hiring managers plan to pay between $6 and $8 per hour and 22 percent expect to pay between $8 and $10.

"Nearly six-in-ten hiring managers surveyed prior to hurricanes Katrina and Rita anticipated a surge in seasonal hiring in the fourth quarter," said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder.com. "It is expected hiring managers will continue to monitor the impact of these events as they set their hiring pace going forward. The latest employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics serves as a positive indicator of the hiring situation, showing resilience in job growth so far. Despite a decline of 35,000 in the nonfarm payroll, the U.S. added 31,700 temporary positions and experienced solid gains in construction, professional and business services and health services."

CareerBuilder.com’s career advisors recommend the following tips for those seeking seasonal employment:
  • Start applying early. More than one-third of hiring managers fill their open positions within two weeks.
  • Show enthusiasm. Saying the only reason you want the position is for the employee discount will not impress the hiring manager. Saying that you want to learn new skills, admire the company or product and enjoy working with customers gives you a much better chance of getting your foot in the door.
  • Dress the part. For example, if you are interviewing for a job in a retail clothing store, it's a good idea to show up dressed in an outfit from that store.
  • Plan for the future. If you're interested in working for the company on a more permanent basis, let the hiring manager know early, so they can keep you in mind. Also, make sure to show initiative - keep busy, ask questions, volunteer for projects, etc.
About CareerBuilder.com
CareerBuilder.com is the nation’s largest online job site with more than 20 million unique visitors and over 1 million jobs. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB), and Knight Ridder, Inc. (NYSE:KRI), the company offers a vast online and print network to help job seekers connect with employers. CareerBuilder.com powers the career centers for more than 700 partners that reach national, local, industry and niche audiences. These include more than 165 newspapers and leading portals such as America Online and MSN. More than 30,000 of the nation's top employers take advantage of CareerBuilder.com's easy job postings, 14 million-plus resumes, Diversity Channel and more. Millions of job seekers visit the site every month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company and job type, sign up for automatic email job alerts, and get advice on job hunting and career management. For more information about CareerBuilder.com products and services, visit http://www.careerbuilder.com.

CareerBuilder Media Contact
For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact:

Jennifer Grasz
(P) 773-527-1164
(E) jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com