Seasonal jobs are a dim but alluring light this year

Store Santas are out in force for Christmas, but some holiday jobs are still to be filled. As expected, package deliverers such as UPS are advertising for drivers and other personnel as close as Port Allen and Baker, and as far as Sulphur and Slidell. Many large retailers have already loaded up on seasonal help, including Bass Pro Shops in Denham Springs, which General Manager Alan Earnest says added about 100 people this fall for its 350- to 400-employee operation. Lynn Gautreaux, human resources manager for Cabela’s in Gonzales, says her store hired about 50 people in the last six weeks for its 250- to 300-worker enterprise. “We hope they stay permanent,” she says. “Some only want to work seasonally, which is an option they have. It is our hope to keep the majority.” That should be good news to the recent hires, which otherwise would be part and parcel of the 7.4% unemployed in the state, not counting furloughed or part-time workers who are looking for an extra job this season. USA Today reports a recent survey showed 1 in 8 employed people plan to take on more work for the holidays. Read that story here.—Todd R. Brown