An analysis of Labor Department data by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. found that employment in the retail sector grew by 321,300 in November. That is a 37% improvement over November of last year, when just 233,700 workers were added to retail payrolls. This increase comes despite the fact that November retail sales were the weakest in 35 years, according to some reports.

Including October hires, retailers have now added a total of 375,500 seasonal workers as of Nov. 30. That is nearly as many as the 384,300 added in October, November and December of last year.