Jobless Rates Drop, New Hires Are Up
(CBS) -- Good news on the jobs front: unemployment numbers are down. New hires are up, and retailers are looking for employees.
CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports plenty of Chicago retailers are hiring.
At Trustwave, security consultants help businesses ward off hackers. In the last year, the international company hired 300 new employees, and it's currently looking for another 33 for its offices here in Chicago.
Trustwave is the poster child for what experts see as evidence of an improving labor market. In September, employers added some 248,000 jobs -- the most all year. And a significant number were professional positions.
"Those are management, consulting, and engineering and architecture jobs, which are high-paying positions," says Andy Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "What that means is there is a lot of money flowing into peoples' pockets right before a huge holiday."
So, retailers like Kohl's are gearing up. Nationwide, merchants will hire some 800,000 seasonal workers. Experts say that's the most in 15 years.
Macy's is looking to add 2,500 in the Chicago area alone.
"It's all about shipping to customers, fulfilling orders, buying online. We've got a few more jobs this year," Macy's spokeswoman Andrea Schwartz says.
Retailers are taking applications now. Most want you to apply online. Holiday workers are expected to start later this month.
