Home Depot to add 2,000 jobs in suburban market

ATLANTA — Never mind the snow. Home Depot Inc. is ramping up for spring, with plans to hire more than 60,000 seasonal workers — including about 2,000 in the Chicago and suburban market — to help with its busiest season of the year.

Spokeswoman Jean Niemi said the seasonal staffing level is on pace with last year, when its Spring Black Friday promotion first started. With the promotion heading into its second straight year, the world's biggest home improvement retailer is looking to fill its seasonal positions before the event.

“Spring is our Christmas and traffic is at its highest during this season,” Craig Menear, executive vice president for merchandising, said.

This means the stores, including those in the Chicago and suburban area, will hire about 25 to 30 workers per store, but it varies depending on the needs of the store, company spokeswoman Jennifer King said.

The Spring Black Friday promotion will occur over four different weekends and will be rolled out in various markets and timed to weather conditions, said company spokeswoman Jennifer King.

“We will have four Spring Black Friday events that will happen on a market-by-market basis depending on geography and climate. We're not announcing the dates ahead of time for competitive reasons,” King said.

Many retailers hire seasonal help during their busiest selling seasons. Companies including Kohl's Corp., Macy's Inc. and Toys R Us boosted their staffing levels during the December holidays to keep up with customer demand for clothing, toys and other items.

Home Depot said its seasonal workers, who will be hired and trained in February and March, will be in every market, including the Chicago region. The Atlanta company currently has more than 300,000 employees.

Candidates can apply online at http://careers.homedepot.com or at an in-store kiosk.

Home Depot said it will also add some permanent part-time and full-time jobs this year, but Niemi did not have an exact figure.

In December, Home Depot boosted its 2010 earnings and revenue outlooks on stronger sales. The chain also said it plans to open 10 new stores in 2011, including seven in Mexico.

Home Depot has 2,247 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces, Mexico and China.

• Daily Herald Business Writer Anna Marie Kukec contributed to this story.