Pasadena, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/11/2010 -- Holiday hiring in the retail sector is expected to create the highest number of seasonal jobs since its peak in 2007.

An analysis from the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray, and Christmas shows that retailers are on track to hire more workers this holiday season. Retailers have already added almost 151,000 jobs in October. If the hiring trend is the same as in 2009, the total could still reach over 600,000. Last year, many retailers held back hiring because of concerns over the recession and its effect on shoppers.

Although seasonal jobs in retail chains are usually not converted into full-time year-round jobs at least some employers are planning to do so. In a major survey carried out by CareerBuilder, 2,457 human resource professionals and hiring mangers were asked about their plans for the temporary workers. 40 percent of the employers said that they plan to convert at least some of the positions into permanent ones.

Retail chains are going to be the number one hirers this season. But there are jobs in other sectors too. United Parcel Service (UPS) is planning on hiring 50,000 temporary workers to work through the end of December. Most of the jobs will be as driver helpers. CareerBuilder found that the remaining top four sectors for temporary jobs this year are customer service, administrative/clerical work, shipping and delivery, and hospitality.

CEO A. Harrison Barnes of Hound says that it’s important to apply right away to these jobs as the vacancies get filled up quickly. He adds, “All the big retail chains make you apply online. So just because you don’t see a Wanted sign on the store doesn’t mean there are no jobs.” Hound is a job search engine and it has been able to find over 53,000 jobs in the retail sector alone.