Home Depot launches spring hiring phase

The Home Depot says it has begun filling more than 80,000 seasonal positions to assist customers during the company's busiest selling season.

"Spring is always a special season for us, when we can offer employment opportunities for literally tens of thousands of Americans," said Tim Crow, executive VP human resources. 

The announcement follows a similar spring-hiring announcement issued by rival Lowe’s late last month. 

As both the company's busiest hiring and selling period, spring serves as The Home Depot's annual peak season, similar to the Christmas selling season for many retailers. Job opportunities range from part-time to full-time and are available on a market-by-market basis based on individual store needs and geographical variance in climate. 

This year’s hiring push by Home Depot includes an initiative called Online Military Skills Translator, a tool designed to help match an applicant's military skills with positions that might offer the best fit. The Home Depot has also partnered with military-focused career fairs and will be participating in events throughout 2013. 

The retailer also says it is encouraging technical school students, college students and retirees to apply. 

Home Depot’s spring-aided second quarter of 2012 produced $20.6 billion in sales -- more than 10% higher than sales reported in the first quarter ($17.8 billion) and third quarter ($18.1 billion).