Macy's to hire 86,000 seasonal workers this holiday season

Macy's plans to hire about 86,000 seasonal holiday workers nationwide to bolster its stores, call centers and distribution hubs. That number represents a 3.6 percent increase from a year ago.

The department store chain, which also operates Bloomingdale's, said Monday that the growth is being fueled by its expanding online business. This year, about 10,000 of the total 86,000 seasonal workers will be based in eight distribution centers.

A store's hiring plans can indicate its expectations for the holiday shopping season, which accounts for 20 percent of the retail industry's annual sales, according to the National Retail Federation.

Shares of Macy's Inc., based in Cincinnati, are down slightly in premarket trading.