The holiday season is nearly upon us, and that means holiday shopping! More importantly for some, that increase in retail sales means an increase in job positions at retail outlets. Sensing the need for an increased workforce at many of their tenant stores, Briarwood Mall will be hosting a job fair on October 15, for more than 25 stores hiring almost 350 positions.

“Unemployment in Washtenaw county is currently at 5.4 percent, which means our local economy is doing very well,” mall director of marketing and business development Denise Murray said.

“If you’re looking for good employees, you have to be a lot more aggressive to find them.”

Murray said approximately 40 percent of the jobs available at the fair will be seasonal employment, but many of the retailers participating are looking to add more permanent part-time and full-time employees.

While many of the jobs available are sales positions, there are also management opportunities at some retailers including Abercrombie and Fitch and Auntie Anne’s Pretzels.

The job fair at Briarwood comes as U.S. retailers are expecting holiday hiring to hit a five-year high, according to a report in Forbes. More than 413,000 seasonal employees are expected to be hired at an average wage of $10.70.

The job fair will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Macy’s wing of the mall. No pre-registration is necessary, but job seekers are encouraged to submit their resumes and applications ahead of time in order to focus on personal interaction during the fair.

“If people pre-apply then they can focus on making an impression and not just on paperwork,” Murray said. “Nothing beats a face to face meeting to impress an employer.”

Briarwood has been experiencing some changes recently, with two new retailers signing leases, Brighton Collectibles scheduled to open on December 1, and some movement of food shops within the shopping center.

Simon Properties, Briarwood's parent company, has been holding job fairs in some of their nearly 350 shopping centers across the country. Murray said those fairs have attracted anywhere from 200 to 500 people, and she’s hoping to get somewhere in that range.

“Hopefully we can attract the best people in town,” she said. “The best employees make the best malls.”

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2