Best Buy Hiring Fewer Holiday Workers

Minneapolis Best Buy Inc. plans to cut back on hiring seasonal workers this year in light of the bleak economy.

The company said it anticipates hiring 16,000 to 20,000 employees for this holiday season, compared with the roughly 26,000 employees it hired for the season last year.

The company is also leaving the decision up to the stores as to how many staff to hire, rather than the corporation setting the staffing levels.

Overall holiday hiring is likely to fall significantly short of last year's total, which was the lowest since 2003, according to job placement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.