Target to hire more than 77,500 seasonal workers in U.S.

Target Corp. will be hiring more than 70,000 seasonal workers for its stores and about 7,500 more for its distribution and fulfillment centers nationwide, the Minneapolis company said yesterday.

In 2015, Target hired 3,600 seasonal employees in New York State. Hiring figures were not immediately available for Long Island, which has 15 of the company’s 1,800 stores nationwide, a spokeswoman said.

The company said for the first time it will hold job fairs in its stores to interview candidates, on Oct. 14 and 15.

The National Retail Federation, a trade group based in Washington, predicted retailers would fill between 700,000 and 750,000 seasonal positions in 2015. That compares with 713,780 seasonal hires in 2014.

The Target spokeswoman said seasonal hires will serve customers, stock goods and clean and maintain stores. Seasonal hires for distribution and fulfillment centers will help to restock store shelves while fulfilling online orders, the company said in a news release.

Wages will be determined on a “market-by-market” basis, the spokeswoman said. As in the past, current employees will be offered extra holiday hours, and seasonal workers will be hired for the additional work, Janna Potts, chief stores officer, said in a statement.

— KEN SCHACHTER

By Ken Schachter

kenneth.schachter@newsday.comkschach

Ken Schachter covers corporate news, including technology and aerospace, and other business topics for Newsday. He has also worked at The Miami Herald and The Jerusalem Post.