[CG:1_LWR3RD\10\Henry Williford\Holiday Employee\\]
[CG:1_LWR3RD\44\Ginger Spry\JC Penny, Manager\\]

HENRY WILLIFORD JUST MOVED BACK TO DOTHAN.
NOT ONLY WAS THE TRIP AN EXPENSE...BUT FINDING A JOB WAS A WHOLE OTHER STORY.

(Henry) "Whenever I moved back from Kansas City I had bills to pay and all that fun stuff so I was just looking for a job and putting in different applications and it seemed like a lot of people were saying they were hiring but not getting too many calls back."

THANKS TO THE NEED FOR HOLIDAY HELP...WILLIFORD HAD AN ARRAY OF STORES TO PUT IN APPLICATIONS.
AN OPPORTUNITY THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MISSED HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

(Henry) "It was pretty bad, you know bills don't stop coming in just becasue you don't have a job so with all that coming in its like you see the bills."

IT'S NOT JUST SALES ASSISTANTS WHO ARE BENEFITING FROM THE SHOPPING CRAZE.
STORE MANAGERS SAY IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR BOTH SIDES.

(Ginger) "We had a greater percentage this year and better qualified we saw more applicants from all walks of life not those that just worked previous retail."

GINGER SPRY WITH J-C- PENNEY SAYS ABOUT 35 PEOPLE WERE HIRED THIS SEASON.
AND WHAT BEGINS AS A TEMPORARY JOB...MAY TURN INTO A PERMANENT ONE AFTER THE HOLIDAYS.

(Ginger) "We do end up keeping people every year it seems that there are positions open, but it depends on the number of permanent positions open after Christmas is to how many we can retain."

AS FOR WILLIFORD...HE SAYS HE'S GRATEFUL FOR AN EARLY HOLIDAY BLESSING.

EVEN WITH THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STILL RISING...OFFICIALS SHOW AN INCREASE OF 38-HUNDRED JOBS FOR OCTOBER.