Retail workers have fewer options

Retailers say they have seen a surge in the number of applicants seeking holiday work-- many of them laid off from other industries-- just as the sector is shrinking. Here are the numbers.

Unemployment: The US retail industry shed 38,100 jobs in October, bringing the total since January to 297,000, according to Michael P. Niemira, chief economist at the International Council of Shopping Centers. That's about 25 percent of the overall 1.2 million jobs lost this year. Yet retail jobs made up just about 11 percent of total payroll employment - meaning the industry is losing a higher proportion of its jobs. That has been a factor in the unemployment rate rising to a 14-year high of 6.5 percent in October.

Holiday hiring: Seasonal hiring is expected to be well below the levels of a year ago. A survey of 1,000 managers by SnagAJob.com found that on average, each plans to hire 3.7 seasonal employees - down from 5.6 last year. A survey of 20 retailers by management consultants Hay Group reported that in September, 75 percent were planning to hire the same number of seasonal workers from a year ago. In November, that figure fell to 53 percent, while 26 percent planned to hire 5 to 15 percent fewer workers.

Post-holiday opportunities: Even those who find holiday jobs folding sweaters or ringing a cash register may not be able to rely on them after the holiday season, since more stores are expected to file for bankruptcy. That's expected to further push up the overall unemployment rate, which could climb to 8 or 8.5 percent by the end of next year.