(RTTNews) -  Video game and entertainment software retailer GameStop Corp. (GME: News ) said Tuesday that it plans to hire about 15,000 seasonal part-time game advisors between now and Dec. 24, in order to manage the upcoming holiday rush.

The company noted that the launches of several highly anticipated blockbuster video games combined with the recent price reductions for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii gaming consoles are expected to create a lot of store traffic.

The 15,000 workers to be hired will fill open positions at the company's 4,300 stores in the United States. This hiring will increase the company's total headcount by about 46% and the in-store game advisor headcount by about 78%. These numbers are consistent with GameStop's seasonal hiring efforts in 2008 and 2007, the company said.
According to GameStop, training will be provided to these temporary workers, but applicants should be knowledgeable about video games and video game equipment. The seasonal part-time game advisors can enjoy benefits including an employee discount on software purchases as well as the ability to try out new games in order to better assist customers.

GME is currently trading at $24.49, up 41 cents or 1.70% on a volume of 2.79 million shares.

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by RTT Staff Writer

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