Labor & Employment

Against the backdrop of a growing national debate over the minimum wage and part-time versus full-time workers, Home Depot has begun a huge seasonal hiring surge in preparation for spring.

The nation's largest home improvement retailer said it planned to hire approximately 80,000 seasonal employees, many of whom are part-time, the same day that President Barack Obama was expected to sign an executive order unilaterally increasing to $10.10 the minimum wage the federal government pays contract workers.

Chicago — Jones Lang LaSalle has announced the appointment of Josh Burmeister as executive VP and Gulf Coast retail brokerage lead and Ms. Buff Teague as VP. They will cover Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle, partnering with John Bemis, Southeast retail market lead and John Lambert, Fla., retail market lead.

Burmeister and Teague join JLL from SRS Real Estate Partners.

While at SRS, Burmeister served as market leader for operations in Mobile, Ala., and co-market leader for Birmingham Ala., operations.

Stater Bros. reported a substantial increase in net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 and credited its long-time low-price strategy for its sales growth.

Atlanta - The Home Depot has begun filling more than 80,000 seasonal positions as it prepares for spring, the company's busiest selling season. Job opportunities are available on a market-by-market basis, based on individual store needs and geographical variance in climate.

Home Depot says college students, retirees, veterans and reservists are encouraged to apply. All applicants must apply online. The retailer also hired 80,000 seasonal employees in spring 2012.

Seattle -- Amazon said it is hiring more than 2,500 full-time workers at order-fulfillment centers across the country.

"Today, we're excited to announce 2,500 full-time jobs, bringing new employment opportunities to local communities across the country," said Mike Roth, Amazon’s VP of North America operations, in a company statement.

Washington, D.C. – The National Retail Federation (NRF) is applauding a decision by the Treasury and IRS to delay implementation of some employer requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) until 2015 and eliminate other requirements for small businesses.

Chicago -- Retail CFOs are feeling more confident about the state of the consumer, forecast a 5.1% increase in total sales and a 4.8% increase in same-store sales this year, according to a new BDO USA survey. The finding marks a significant increase from the number expressing similar sentiments last year.

In the study,  a majority (63%) of CFOs indicate that they include online sales in their comparable sales projections, suggesting that some of this expected growth and optimism may be linked to the exploding popularity of e-commerce.

Hhgregg EVP and chief operating officer Gregg W. Throgmartin has resigned his position and spot on the company’s board of directors, effective March 31. Throgmartin is leaving to pursue outside interests and manage family businesses, the company said.