J.C. Penney hiring for holidays; Puerto Rico stores remain shut

Retail giant anticipates needing 40,000 workers for shopping season

 In this June 19, 2012 file photo, a sign at a JC Penney store is pictured in Oklahoma City. J.C. Penney is looking to potentially sell and partially leaseback its headquarters to help lower debt and create long-term savings. The department store operator said Friday, Feb. 5, 2016 that it has a surplus of square footage available in the Plano, Texas office building, with favorable market conditions making it a good time for such a real estate transaction.
In this June 19, 2012 file photo, a sign at a JC Penney store is pictured in Oklahoma City. J.C. Penney is looking to potentially sell and partially leaseback its headquarters to help lower debt and create long-term savings. The department store operator said Friday, Feb. 5, 2016 that it has a surplus of square footage available in the Plano, Texas office building, with favorable market conditions making it a good time for such a real estate transaction.

DALLAS-J.C. Penney is planning to hire 40,000 people for the holiday shopping season. That's about the same as last year. 

Hiring starts in October, Penney said, with a big push on an in-store national hiring day Oct. 17. 

Staff will be added throughout the season, the retail giant  said.

Since Hurricane Harvey, Penney, based outside Dallas, has hired an extra 2,500 people in the Houston area.

The company said it anticipated that families whose homes were flooded will need the extra job and the discount to replace household items. Penney's employee discount is up to 25 percent.

Seven Penney stores in Puerto Rico closed on Sept. 18 so employees could prepare for Hurricane Maria. 

Those stores are still closed after severe damage left the island without power.

"Our teams are currently in the process of contacting all associates to ensure their safety, but the island is experiencing power and (phone) signal issues, making outreach a bit more challenging," said Penney spokesman Joey Thomas.

Stores in Puerto Rico will remain closed until power is restored, buildings are inspected and employees can safely travel to work, Thomas said, "but we're not yet able to determine when that may happen."

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