John Challenger

Coming into the economic downturn's fourth holiday season, dollar stores and high-end retail are looking to fare better than the middle. Shoppers and pedestrians cross 34th Street outside of Macy's Herald Square department store in New York City. (Chris Hondros/) Jeremy Hobson: Family Dollar reports earnings later today, and the outlook is pretty good. The company is benefiting from a growing number of Americans who are in the mood for discounts. Interestingly, at the other end of the retail spectrum, high-end shops are also doing okay. As Marketplace's Adriene Hill reports, you can see the trends in plans for

New York City -- Holiday retail hiring is expected to be flat or even slightly lower compared with last year, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas’ annual holiday hiring forecast. The outplacement consulting firm said 627,000 seasonal retail jobs were created from October through December in 2010. The total was up 27% from 2009, and nearly double the 26-year low that occurred in 2008. "It would be surprising if holiday hiring exceeded last year's level," stated John Challenger, chief executive, Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Challenger said that holiday employment gains would most definitely not reach pre-recession levels, which averaged