Finding Seasonal Work Challenging This Christmas

By Scott Thompson, The News On 6

Tulsa, OK – Many focus on gifts and family this holiday season, others are just hoping to find a job but the recession and high unemployment rates are making it tougher to find seasonal work.

Unemployment in Oklahoma is reaching record levels but many businesses are looking for holiday help.

The problem is more people without jobs means more people competing for the same openings.

Daniel Bettge has 20 days left until his job at Drysdales runs out.

He's a seasonal employee, hired by the company to make it through the busiest time of year.

Bettge's normal job is detailing cars but the economy and cold weather forced him to look for alternatives.

"Just usually this time of year, I'm usually cold outside somewhere so I just decided to get a job right here," Bettge said.

Drysdales has 60 seasonal employees on its payroll this year but the number of people asking for a seasonal job was considerably higher to the tune of 25% more applications.

"Oh yeah, I saw a big ol' stack when I got hired, yeah," Bettge said.

Jim McClure, Drysdales President said, "Well I think the economy, unemployment. A lot of people are looking for something to do, earn some money for Christmas."

The competition can be difficult since some businesses are not hiring seasonal workers this year. Dillard's in the Promenade Mall, for example, didn't hire any additional employees for the holidays out of concern for not being able to afford keeping them on the payroll past the Christmas season.

The USA Today reports that Target has dropped the number of seasonal hires and, instead, will ask current employees to work more shifts.

But one seasonal employment mainstay is UPS.

Company officials tell us 200 people were hired in Tulsa to make it through the holiday season.

More than a thousand applied for the jobs but, a spokeswoman says that number is typical for the holidays

McClure said it would be a challenge to make it through Christmas without seasonal help.

He also says, despite the rough economy, the type of people applying for the jobs this year is no different than year's past. "We do get the college students, we get the retired people, and the unemployed people we see them all."

The majority of seasonal jobs are in retail and usually last from the week before Thanksgiving until the last day of December.