Many retailers are already in the thick of hiring seasonal help for the holidays. It's early, sure, but they like to have workers hired and trained before Thanksgiving.

It's not clear yet how many workers they'll hire, given the recession. What is clear: There's going to be plenty of competition.

I'm working on a story about the holiday hiring outlook in the Fresno area. Are there any job seekers out there who care to share their holiday job hunting experiences with a reporter for possible inclusion in the story? I'm curious to find out just how hard it is out there. If so, please drop me an e-mail at bclough@fresnobee.com. And good hunting to you.