The nationwide labor shortage persists as a barrier for employers, especially during the annual hiring surge to meet consumer demand during the holidays.

Stephanie Haley, managing director of JCPenney at Moore, said she had managed to cope by making a job at the retailer more attractive.

“The good thing is that JCPenney is trying to combat this by offering an incentive to our associates who are currently working in construction and new hires,” she said.

They will receive an additional $ 2 per hour during weekend shifts, Black Friday and Christmas Eve.

This type of incentive keeps businesses with enough employees to operate, said Don Morris, director of the workforce development division for the state’s Commerce Department.

“One of the things we’ve seen is that some companies are changing things to keep (staff shortages) from being their problem for this holiday season, adjusting wages and doing other things, la flexibility of schedules and things like that. “

Rising vacation hires is an annual tradition for employers who see spikes in activity as vacation buyers cross their wishlists. Walmart has announced that it will hire 150,000 employees across the country. UPS has announced plans to hire 1,000 people in Oklahoma City alone.

At Moore JCPenney, the goal was to have about three dozen employees on the payroll.

“Anytime there’s a goal around 38, you want to aim higher because you have to factor in a certain turnover. And that’s what we do,” Haley said.

The store currently employs around 50 people, so most of the challenges of the pandemic’s workforce shortage have been resolved.

Morris said a business can be successful if it is prepared to adapt to the reality of a workforce that for some reason is reluctant or unable to return to its old career.

“Employers who make changes to attract these people don’t have the problems of anyone getting started just like in previous years,” he said.

It is not enough to announce that you have open positions.

“It’s a market of job seekers, and they vote with their feet on what type of job they want to apply for,” Morris said.

One downside, at least at the consumer level, is that more lucrative hiring packages could hurt buyers’ bottom lines. Jeff Cato, vice president of digital marketing and e-commerce at Oklahoma City-based Jasco Products, said customers could see higher prices anyway when shopping.

While much of these increases are linked to supply chain disruptions and raw material shortages, the cost of payroll is factored into the cash price.

“You look at the staff and labor shortages and companies have to spend more money to recruit or retain people,” Cato said. “It increases the cost of goods coming in over the part of the supply chain because you have to have manpower to help deal with it all. increasing costs. “

Retail giant Walmart won’t even care about Thanksgiving in-store sales

While some stores struggle to hire seasonal workers, Walmart will have one day less on staff this holiday season. The retailer will close all of its stores in the United States on Thursday, November 25 for Thanksgiving.

This is the second year in a row that the retail giant has closed its doors for the holidays. However, Walmart is expanding much of its Black Friday online delivery and shopping options that it has launched in recent years in an attempt to compete with other major retailers, including Amazon.

In recent years, it was customary for Walmart supermarkets and Walmart neighborhood markets to close for a few hours in the evening, giving employees time to enjoy Thanksgiving, before reopening shortly before midnight for Black Friday sales.

But 2020 has brought a lot of changes. Most Walmarts are no longer open 24/7 due to pandemic concerns and restrictions, and instead of closing at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Thursday, stores will close at 11 p.m. on Wednesday the 24th. November and won’t reopen until 5 a.m. on Friday. , November 26.

Santa is coming to town, but not on Thanksgiving

Santa is returning to several major shopping malls in central Oklahoma this month, giving children five weeks to visit him and share their Christmas wish lists.

Brookfield Properties announced Santa’s return to Quail Springs Mall in Oklahoma City on November 18 and Sooner Mall in Norman on November 19.

Simon Property Group announced that he also brought his own Santa Claus photo experience back to the Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City.

Shopping centers encourage reservations. With the exception of Thanksgiving Day, Santa will be available daily at all three locations until December 24.

Even Santa Claus suffers from supply chain issues. Tours with children may not take place this year

Quail Springs Mall will also host other activities and events throughout the holiday season, including:

• The Salvation Army angel tree, available daily Tuesday through December 7 near Great American Cookie Co. and Victoria’s Secret. Customers can give gifts to needy children whose information is included with tags hanging from the tree.
• Animal nights with Santa Claus 4pm to closing every Monday, Nov 29 – Dec 20, in the same lower level center court at Quail Springs Mall as the daily Santa photo ops. The mall suggests that you book a time for this “fun time” with “your furry children and big puppies”.
• Holiday choirs, who will perform classic Christmas carols and hymns in the mall’s food court near their AMC theater on select days in early December. Local groups will perform from December 1-3 and December 8-10.
• Father Christmas Day, which will actually be held two Sunday mornings, December 5 and 12, on the lower level. Between 9:30 am and 10:30 am, children with special needs and their families are encouraged to attend “sensory events” tailored to them and their experiences, sponsored by Autism Speaks.
• In addition, starting on Black Friday, the non-profit organization Ally’s House will provide gift wrapping services for the holidays next to the location of Santa Claus. The organization will donate funds raised during the gift wrap campaign to help children with cancer in the area.