Contact:  Janelle Guthrie, ESD communications director, 360-902-9289
               Jan Teague, President/CEO, Washington Retail Association, 360-200-6450
               Paul Turek, ESD economist, 360-407-2306

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee has declared September 2017 Careers in Retail Month to recognize the numerous entry-level and management retail opportunities available to Washington workers.

Inslee announced the industry spotlight in conjunction with Washington’s retail hiring projections for the 2017 holiday season. Washington retailers are expected to hire more than 12,900 workers this fall. 

“With more residents employed than ever before and a greater share of consumers expecting their incomes to rise, the outlook for holiday sales and hiring in general is strong,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “It’s a great time for job seekers to consider joining the nearly 400,000 Washingtonians who currently work in retail. It consistently offers among the most career opportunities of any industry in the state.”

“Our industry and retail sales have been growing steadily throughout the state in recent years,” said Jan Teague, President/CEO of the Washington Retail Association. “That growth has generated a wide variety of job opportunities, often with great benefits. Retailers are ready to hire a variety of job seekers, from career-oriented applicants to those looking to earn a few extra dollars for the holidays.”

Employment Security Department economists say the bulk of seasonal hiring in 2017 will be in general merchandise stores, adding 7,524 jobs, up 998 positions from the same period last year. Clothing and clothing-accessory stores expect to hire 3,320 holiday workers, up 343 workers from 2016. Last year, Washington retail employers hired 12,500 additional workers during the fourth quarter of 2016.

“The Washington Retail Association and WorkSource are encouraging retailers to advertise hiring events and job openings on WorkSourceWA.com,” said Dale Peinecke, commissioner of the Employment Security Department. “Retailers also can contact our expert business solution professionals at WorkSource for help recruiting talent.”

WorkSource has launched a new retail spotlight on WorkSourceWA.com to promote careers in retail. The site provides information on retail employment tracks, potential wages, training and testimonials from people who work in retail. 

WorkSource will team up with retailers to recruit talent for the holiday season. Interested people can find hiring events under the Careers Resources tab on WorkSourceWA.com or can look for retail jobs by occupation and area using the Search feature.

###