With the holidays rapidly approaching, tri-state area businesses are making one last push to round out their seasonal workforce in the face of a tight labor market.

Economists estimate U.S. retailers are expected to add approximately 520,000 new jobs in the final quarter of this year, with the majority of those roles being part-time or temporary positions at major retailers and goods distributors.

As the retail hub of the tri-state area, Dubuque stands to benefit from the increase in seasonal hiring, according to Greater Dubuque Development Corp. Director of Workforce Programming Nic Hockenberry.

“Seasonal hiring is a part of most local economies, but particularly in more metropolitan hubs (like Dubuque),” Hockenberry said. “You’ll see increased hiring at the retailers themselves, but also at the places that support those retailers like the distribution centers.”

The seasonal rush hits retailers of all sizes, Hockenberry added, though the majority of seasonal positions come from larger employers.

This fall, Amazon signaled its intent to hire 250,000 seasonal workers to help accommodate the holiday shopping rush. Target planned to hire 100,000 temporary workers while Macy’s looked to add an additional 31,500 seasonal store associates.

For its part, JCPenney set a goal of hiring 10,000 seasonal workers nationwide — roughly 15 of which were posted for roles at the retailer’s Dubuque location in Kennedy Mall.

Store manager Kim Terrell said seasonal staffers at the Dubuque location fill roles ranging from cashiers and beauty sales to inventory management and recovery. Hiring for those positions starts in September, and the roles typically run through mid-January.

“At this time of year, it’s all about keeping things on the floor and ringing up purchases,” she said. “(Extra staffing) is helpful to keep the store straightened and provide good customer service.”

Seasonal hiring this year has been decent, Terrell said, though certain positions remain open despite the applications that resulted from online advertising, walk-ins and employee referrals.

To fill the gap, she said many of the staff members are cross-trained to fill multiple roles depending on what is most needed during a given shift.

Noting the difference between a posted and a filled position, Hockenberry said many area employers could face similar constraints this year as they attempt to find workers in a tight regional labor market.

As of October, unemployment in Dubuque County hovered around 2.9%, and more than 61,000 non-farm workers were employed within the metropolitan statistical area. Other portions of the tri-state area experienced similarly low rates ranging from 1.7% to 3.1%.

“The numbers show that people are getting the jobs they want,” Hockenberry said. “There may be businesses who are not seeing the same folks come in for seasonal positions as in years past just because those folks now have been able to find full-time work somewhere else.”

Assistant store manager Dave Pierson said Theisen’s Home-Farm-Auto in Dubuque has noted a similar trend this year.

He said the Dubuque store does the majority of its seasonal hiring in November when extra hands are needed to organize, display and sell merchandise ahead of and during the annual holiday shopping season.

The store was ultimately able to find enough seasonal associates to handle the annual Black Friday rush, but Pierson said finding the additional staff to do so was “kind of trying.”

“The number of (seasonal workers) we have really depends on what we need and what we can get,” he said. “It’s not real easy because most people who are looking for a job are looking for a permanent position.”

Not all seasonal hiring hinges on retail operations, however.

Chestnut Mountain Resort near Galena, Ill., is in the middle of its biggest employment push of the year, according to human resources manager Mary Frances Buck.

In the summer, the resort employs roughly 150 people to oversee its hotel and other year-round operations. Each winter, that figure doubles to accommodate the thousands of visitors who flock to the ski resort each year.

“It’s a big, huge push … and it can be pretty crazy as we try to get everybody put into the system and finish up their training,” she said. “We try to have a lot of the hiring done by Jan. 1, but in reality we’re typically bringing people on throughout the season.”

Buck said the resort begins its winter recruitment in mid-November, hoping to hit the sweet spot when people are looking for seasonal jobs such as lift operators, ski instructors and snow makers.

Seasonal spots are typically filled by a mix of new and returning employees, and the resort has found success in hiring high school and college students looking to join the team for employee benefits that allow them to enjoy the slopes at a reduced rate.

“We get a lot of kids who like to ski but want to save on the lift fee,” she said. “That’s been a popular way to get people to apply.”