Home Depot adding jobs

Atlanta Home Depot said Tuesday it is adding store jobs for the first time in four years in anticipation of a rebound in sales.

“We have already added to our payroll this year,” chairman and CEO Frank Blake said. “As you have positive transaction growth, you need more associates to handle that in the stores. We are going to lean into our skis a little bit.”

Home Depot made the decision to boost hiring late last year, Blake said. Sales advanced more than the company had anticipated in the fourth quarter, helped by demand for paint, flooring and plumbing items. Home Depot forecast in February that revenue would rise 2.5% this year, marking the first increase since 2006.

The company, which had about 317,000 workers as of Jan. 31, eliminated jobs in each of the past three years, according to annual filings.