Lowe's to Hire 25,000 Seasonal Workers for Spring

   By Erin McCarthy 
 

Lowe's Cos. (LOW) said Wednesday it plans to hire about 25,000 seasonal employees at its U.S. stores during its spring busy season, down from 45,000 workers last year.

Lowe's and peer Home Depot (HD) have been a rare bright spot in the retail sector as they continue to benefit from the U.S. housing recovery. Rising home prices and improvements in home construction and new home sales have led homeowners to open their wallets for remodeling projects or big-ticket items.

Last week, Home Depot said it will hire 80,000 workers in the U.S. in preparation for spring, its busiest sales period, matching last year's hiring level.

Lowe's said it plans to hire and train new seasonal employees first in areas where the climate has begun to warm, and continue on a market-by-market basis by climate and geography. Hiring has already begun in Florida, south Texas, Arizona and Southern California, it added.

Lowe's operates more than 1,825 home improvement and hardware stores in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Lowe's stock fell 0.9% Wednesday to trade at $46.54. The stock is down about 7.7% in the last three months.

Write to Erin McCarthy at [e-mail]

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