Home Depot to hire hundreds in the Valley

FRESNO, California (KFSN) -- One of the country's largest home improvement stores plans to hire an army of seasonal workers in the coming weeks.

Home Depot announced it will hire 10,000 people nationwide. Here in the Valley that translates into almost 200 new jobs.

Dozens of smartly dressed men and women waited patiently in line Wednesday morning for the chance at an interview with what was advertised as a fortune 500 or industry leading company. Only a handful of employers showed up.

Nevertheless Terry Nemec stood in line. She's a professional, out of work since last September.

Nemec said, "I see a lot more job postings than I used to - but when I go and get interviewed, I get a lot of interviews, but I don't get hired."

The job fairs can be equally frustrating for employers.

Tosh Cook explained, "You get a wide variety of skills with different experience - sometimes employers are looking for a specific set of skills and sometimes you have to mine through a lot of candidates to get the ones you're looking for."

Cook an executive vice president at the Payroll People says his company has openings. But the kinds of people he's looking for already have jobs and don't want to leave a secure thing.

But the job market could be opening up for both the Tosh Cooks and the Terry Nemecs out there.

Steven Gutierrez is a labor market consultant with the Employment Development Department. He said, "We're starting to see some positive things - not quite where people would like it to be, but if we compare this time to where we were last year - we're definitely seeing some growth and moving in the right direction."

Consumer confidence is up - which means spending has gone up. Just as an example in the last quarter of last year, Fresno added 1000 more jobs in the restaurant and leisure industry than in year's past. Home Depot's mass hiring is just another example of positive growth

Connie Harden added, "Obviously the economy is growing so we're gonna need more associates because we're gonna have more sales."

Though the Home Depot jobs are seasonal& Harden says it's a great way to move into a full time position. She started as a part time cashier ten years ago. Today she is the hiring supervisor.

VISIT THE LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION
careers.homedepot.com

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economy, employment, fresno, fresno county, business, liz harrison

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