Holiday boost predicted

Florida's retail community is expecting a 3%-4% increase in 2010 holiday sales compared to last year, according to the Florida Retail Federation. Such a performance would top the national average, which is predicted to see an increase of 2.3%.

FRF President Rick McAllister says research from the National Retail Federation, combined with the most recent report on consumer confidence issued by the University of Florida, supports his organization's claim.

“Consumers are showing that they're tired of being totally frugal, and that they plan on being a little more generous this year,” McAllister said.

Last week, a report compiled by Chicago-based Challenger Gray & Christmas showed that holiday hiring was already trending positively at the end of last month. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows 150,900 retail jobs were added in October, compared to 47,600 retail hires in the same month last year.

In October 2009, retail employment fell 6.4% relative from the previous year, with 61,700 retail jobs lost over the 12 months before it.