Home Improvement Chains Kick Off Spring Hiring Push

Home Depot and Lowe's are getting ready to hire about 133,000 workers between them as they prepare for the busy spring and summer seasons. Lowe's said Wednesday that it's looking to hire 53,000 seasonal workers and has announced plans for its first national hiring day on Feb. 21. The hiring goal is up from the 45,000 target it had last year. Home Depot is looking to add 80,000 seasonal or permanent part-time workers, the same number it hired last year. To make it easier to fill the jobs, Home Depot is allowing job applicants to schedule job interviews online for the first time. Seasonal employees at Home Depot will work about 12 weeks. Nearly half of them will also become permanent employees.

Total Retail's Take: Home improvement has been a consistent strong performer among retail verticals, and the two main businesses in this space are gearing up for their busiest season of the year — spring. With that preparation comes hiring sprees, which were announced this week. Add in the fact that Ace Hardware this week reported revenues in 2017 were up 5.1 percent year-over-year, and all signs are positive in the home improvement sector. The category has benefited immensely from an improving economy and growing consumer confidence, which has led more people to invest in their homes.