Toys R Us to hire 35,000 seasonal workers
For the third consecutive year, the toy retailer will bulk up hiring in advance of its busiest season.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ready or not, the holiday season is nearing, and Toys R Us is ringing in the busy shopping season by hiring 35,000 seasonal employees nationwide.
The toy giant, based in Wayne, N.J., has hired the same number of employees for the past two holiday seasons. Seasonal positions offer flexible work hours and range from management roles and sales associates to the back-of-the-house stock employees, Toys R Us said in a statement released early Wednesday morning.
Buy the toy retailer's move comes at a time when consumers aren't very confident in the economy, suggesting a discouraging outlook for retailers, who make more than half of their annual profit during the winter holidays.
Last year, U.S. retails sales of toys declined 5% in the forth quarter, and 3% overall, generating $21.64 billion in 2008, compared to $22.32 billion in 2007, according to market research company NDP Group Inc.
On the bright side, toys captured the largest share of total expenditure on kids ages 0-14 during the five weeks leading up to Christmas, according to the research group. 
