This Christmas, the must-have, hard-to-find item might just be a job.

Because the Harrisburg area unemployment rate is at its highest point since June 1983, more people will be vying for seasonal jobs at department stores or UPS.

And there likely will be fewer seasonal jobs available this year, according to a survey of employers by Manpower Inc., a company that recruits workers.

“People that aren’t normally looking for seasonal work now would be willing to take seasonal jobs,” said Michael Pinkasavage with Manpower Employment. “It will be more competitive this year.”

Only 9 percent of midstate companies plan to hire more employees from October to December, the survey said.

Last year, three times as many - 27 percent - expected to add jobs. Back in the heady days of 2007, 70 percent of Harrisburg-area companies expected to hire in the fall.

Several companies that operate locally would not say whether they plan to hire seasonal employees, including Wal-Mart, UPS, Bon Ton, and Target.

The state Department of Transportation is hiring for the winter. PennDOT needs extra drivers to plow snowy and icy roads and clerical workers.

It may be tough to find a job at a department store.

Nationwide, department stores cut back on seasonal hiring in 2008, the National Retail Federation said. Holiday hiring fell 63 percent compared to the previous year, dropping to its lowest point in a decade.

“This year before retailers hire, they will first reach out to full-time or part time employees to see if they want to pick up additional hours,” said Ellen Davis, vice president of the National Retail Federation. “It requires less training. If you’ve already got a good employee who understands your store and understands your business, it makes sense before reaching out to other people.”

Retailers have shed 230,000 jobs in 2009 and 832,000 since January 2008, according to the federation. Many retailers are hurting because consumers are spending less, Davis said.

“This has been an environment unlike most people in retail have ever seen,” Davis said. 

This article was written by Diana Fishlock for Pennlive.com.