Whether you are looking to make a quick buck or looking for a stepping stone into full-time work, now is the time to start applying.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, retailers such as Wal-mart, Target and J.C. Penney have begun to hire additional workers for their seasonal positions.

“Retailers are expected to hire roughly 700,000 temporary employees for the Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 holiday season,” according to an article from USA Today. According to the same article this is a drop from 751,800 for the 2012 holiday hiring.

Some retailers, such as Target, attribute the increase in store efficiency and use of full-time employees as the reason for the hiring reductions.

“Target expects to hire 70,000 holiday workers for its stores this year, down from 88,000 in 2012,” according to a CNBC article. “Target said the reduction was based on increased efficiencies and a desire to allow its permanent full-time employees to reap the pay rewards of extra holiday hours.”

Billie Miller, a  business Professor at Cosumnes River College, validated the inefficiency of hiring additional workers when they are not needed.

“The purpose of business strategies is to make a profit for owners or shareholders,” Miller said via email. “Holiday hiring can be an effective business strategy if a need exists for holiday employees.”

Retailers point out the increase in e-retail for the drop in hiring. With the growth of many online retailers such as Amazon, Wal-mart and many companies alike are being forced to scale back on their in-store hiring and are focusing on their own e-commerce sites, according to an article by 24/7 Wall St.

Weak consumer confidence also plays a big role in the decline, especially with the effects of the recession still lingering and the recent government shutdown.

“Consumer confidence is a crucial factor in companies’ sales forecasts and in determining the products they carry, as well as what markets they operate in and how much they hire,” according to 24/7 Wall St.

While overall holiday hiring is expected to drop from last year with some retailers hiring less than before, some individual retailers plan on increasing employment during the holidays.

Some stores are looking to increase their hirings nationwide. Kohl’s is expected to hire an additional 53,070 workers which is 354 more than last year while Wal-mart plans to hire 55,000 workers which is an increase of 5,000 from last year, according to 24/7 Wall St.

Aida Helil, 18, a science major, sees seasonal work as a good way to help meet individual needs. She has already begun taking advantage of the opportunity.

“I’ve applied to BestBuy and Wal-mart,” Helil said. “I want to pay for college and save up for a car.”

“Bolstering your staff with temporary workers early in the quarter can help ensure your core staff can have time away from work without causing your business to suffer,” according to the Northwest Herald. “Hundreds of businesses have utilized seasonal workers to help meet their goals and achieve a successful year, and what leader doesn’t want to do that?”

Jolissa Porto, 18, a health major, said she does not think seasonal jobs provide enough for her personally to want to apply, but believes that it is beneficial to some.

“I wouldn’t want a little job just for the holidays and have to quit,” Porto said. “I think it’s good because people that are low income can get hired for these jobs and get extra money for the holidays.”

Breanna Banks, 22, a biology pre-nursing major, said the opposite.

“Working for the season you might get hired as a part-time or full-time employee,” Banks said. “I know working for Toys R’ Us as a seasonal employee there’s a better opportunity for me to either come back the next season or reapply when they need part-time or full-time workers because I’ve worked there before.”