"We're staffed and ready to serve the customers this holiday season," Maren Dollwet Wagonner, senior vice-president of people, said in a LinkedIn postlast week. Walmart, like other retail chains, has been cautious in its holiday season outlook, saying customers are stressed by high food prices, depleted savings and higher interest rates. The statement from America's largest private employer with 1.7 million employees offered analysts insight into possible holiday shopping results. Except for Amazon, which plans to hire 250,000 holiday season workers, several other U.S. chains including Macy's have issued muted hiring plans for the period. While U.S. retail job applications are up 46%, job openings are down 25% and actual retail hiring is down by 12% in the year through September, according to talent acquisition company iCIMS.

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Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, sprees, We're, Maren Dollwet Wagonner, Andrew Challenger, Neil Costa, Walmart's, Spencer, Siddharth Cavale, Mark Porter, Richard Chang Organizations: Walmart, REUTERS, Challenger, U.S, Walmart's LinkedIn, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Britain, New York