Associated Press Release

ATLANTA (AP) -- The home improvement retailer Lowe's plans to hire 54,000 part-time workers this spring, and company officials say they expect 9,000 of the jobs to become permanent positions.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the company's hiring plans reflect a gradual turnaround in the housing market, a rebound in the economy and an improving job market.

John Challenger, of the job placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., says the large-scale hiring effort reflects another trend as well. Challenger says companies are relying more on part-timers to fill specific needs and they are using the opportunity to identify permanent workers who fit in with the company's culture.

Executives with the Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe's said the company is hiring in customer support, including cashiers, lawn and garden specialists, loaders and stockers.