Kohl's hiring more than 50,000 seasonal workers for the holidays

That projection is slightly less than the 52,700 workers that Kohl's said it was hiring for the 2012 Christmas season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's barely halfway through September, but Kohl's Department Stores has just announced it is hiring more than 50,000 holiday workers for its stores and its Kohls.com website.

The retailer, based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., said that works out to an average of 40 new jobs per store at its 1,158 stores in 49 states. That includes 58 stores in Ohio, including 17 in Northeast Ohio.

The 50,000 projection is slightly smaller than the 52,700 workers, or about 41 jobs per store, that Kohl's said it was hiring for the 2012 Christmas season.

The positions include unloading trucks, processing freight, stocking shelves and working the cash register. Hiring has begun and most jobs are expected to be filled by mid-November.

Michelle Gass, Kohl's chief customer officer, said in a statement that the extra workers will enable Kohl's to "maintaintain the high level of service our shoppers appreciate" during the busiest shopping season of the year.

Kohl's also plans to hire 6,400 workers at its distribution centers, which oversee products getting to its retail stores, including 1,100 at its Monroe/Middletown electronic fulfillment center.

Another 350 will be hired for seasonal credit operations jobs, where people help with online orders.