Target plans to hire 100,000 workers for the holiday season

Thomson Reuters

(Reuters) - Target Corp said on Wednesday it would hire about 100,000 workers for the holiday season, a 43 percent increase from last year, after keeping seasonal hiring flat for the last four years.

The retailer will also hire 4,500 people for the season at its distribution and fulfillment centers, which supply products to its 1,816 stores and fulfill online orders.

Retailers make nearly a third of their annual sales and generate nearly 40 percent of their profits during the holiday selling season, which starts a day after Thanksgiving and continues into early January.

Target last year hired 70,000 in-store workers for the holiday period, hiring cautiously along with others such as Macy's Inc, as most retailers planned for subdued sales amid growing competition from Amazon.