Retailers Cautious on Holiday Hiring as Sales Growth Slows, Walmart Says It's 'Staffed and Ready' While Amazon Still Plans Major Seasonal Hiring

Walmart says it is "staffed and ready" for the holidays and will add workers only as needed, a sign retailers fear slower holiday sales.

Rising labor costs are making retailers cautious about hiring large numbers of seasonal staff.

Overall holiday hiring by U.S. retailers is expected to drop to 2008 levels.

Job applications are up 46% but actual hiring is down 12% amid lower job openings.

Unlike Walmart, Amazon still plans to hire 250,000 seasonal workers in the U.S.