Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer

As 2009 winds down, you can't help but realize what a roller coaster of a year it's been. No one knew what to expect coming into this year, and we constantly looked for signs that the economy would turn around.

Fortunately, we have seen some clues that the situation isn't as bad as it once was and won't get as bad as we once feared. That said, plenty of people still need to find work and need a steady income to pay bills and living expenses. The need for a paycheck is especially high during the holiday season.

Job seekers will be happy to know that many companies are still hiring new workers. While some employers haven't fared well this year, many others are booming. In fact, they're doing well in a variety of industries. For example, Alabama-based manufacturing company ThyssenKrupp Steel is not only surviving the economy -- it's thriving. Home health-care company Bayada Nurses knows that health issues don't stop for a recession, and they continue to need qualified employees to care for clients.

To simplify your job search, whether you're looking for a job in your current industry or want to try something new, we've put together a list of companies hiring right now. What better way to end your year than with a new career?

Here are 17 companies hiring in December:

1. adidas
Industry: Retail
Number of openings: 250
Sample job titles: Store managers, team leaders, sales associates, district and regional managers, buyers, retail area trainers
Location: Nationwide (including Florida, California, Oregon, Texas, New York, Illinois and Las Vegas)

2. BAE Systems
Industry: Global defense and aerospace
Number of openings: 500
Sample job titles: Network security, systems integration
Location: Nationwide

3. Bayada Nurses
Industry: Home Health Care
Number of openings: 500
Sample job titles: Clinical managers, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, home health aides, physical, speech and occupational therapists, management trainees
Location: Nationwide (including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New York and New Jersey)

4. Bridgestone / Firestone
Industry: Automotive
Number of openings: 900
Sample job titles: Automotive technician, store managers, automotive retail sales associates
Location: Nationwide

5. Career Education Corporation
Industry: Education
Number of openings: 500
Sample job titles: Admissions representatives, full- and part-time instructors, directors of admissions
Location: Nationwide (including Illinois)

6. Century 21 Department Stores
Industry: Retail
Number of openings: 300
Sample job titles: Loss prevention managers, sales associates, maintenance managers, general store managers, buyers
Location: New York

7. Check N Go
Industry: Retail / Finance
Number of openings: 70
Sample job titles: Customer service representatives, store managers
Location Nationwide

8. Dallas County Community College
Industry: Education
Number of openings: 50
Sample job titles: Nursing faculty, adjunct faculty, administrative deans, IT, staff positions
Location: Texas

9. EZ Pawn
Industry: Retail
Number of openings: 150
Sample job titles: Sales and lending associates, pawnbroker, inventory assistants, bench jewelers, multi-unit managers
Location: Nationwide

10. First American Payment: Summit Merchant Solutions, Trans Tech Merchant Group, Eliot Management Group
Industry: Merchant solutions, credit card processing Solutions
Number of openings: 500
Sample job titles: Outside sales representatives, customer service representatives, technical support representatives
Location: Nationwide

11. Gentiva Health Services
Industry: Home health care and hospice
Number of openings: 1200
Sample job titles: Registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurse managers, rehab managers, medical sales
Location: Nationwide

12. MarketStar
Industry: Sales, retail, electronics
Number of openings: 100
Sample job titles: Weekend sales associates, retail sales representatives, electronics sales, customer service
Location: Nationwide

13. Paycom
Industry: Business development, consulting, sales
Number of openings: 100
Sample job titles: Outside sales, B2B sales
Location: Georgia, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Colorado, Arizona and North Carolina

14. Rollins, Inc.
Industry: Pest management
Number of openings: 50
Sample job titles: Outside sales, inside sales, pest management specialists, branch managers and region managers
Location: Nationwide (including Georgia)

15. Star West Satellite
Industry: Satellite TV
Number of openings: 100
Sample job titles: Satellite TV installers, satellite TV technicians
Location: Montana

16. ThyssenKrupp Steel
Industry: Steel / Manufacturing
Number of openings: 70
Sample job titles: Energy sourcing managers, energy (natural gas/electricity), technical specialists (hydraulic and pneumatic), safety specialists, quality systems specialist
Location: Alabama

17. YAI
Industry: Social Services
Number of openings: 90
Sample job titles: Occupational therapists, nurses, counselors, physical therapists
Location: New York and New Jersey

Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abalderrama.

 

Please be short and to the point, and respect the other voices in the discussion. You may edit and delete comments for up to three days after date of post. We reserve the right to edit or delete inappropriate comments. For more information read our site policies »

In order to comment, you must be logged in. Login | Register | Help

Comment

Denotes required fields.