Kellie Ell

USA TODAY

Editor's note: This story has been updated to add new information about job openings at Burlington Stores.

The holiday hiring season is here, and it may come with a gift for employees this year: the potential for extra hours.

A low unemployment rate means both potential and existing employees have a competitive edge this year among an array of seasonal job opportunities. Here’s an updated list of who’s hiring around the U.S., who has more hours, how to apply and perks that come with some of the jobs.

Burlington Stores: The discount retailer — which operates Burlington Coat Factories nationwide — plans to hire approximately 12,000 seasonal associates for the holiday season, an 11% increase over last year. Seasonal positions will include stock and merchandise flow associates, cashiers, layaway and sales associates. Recruiting efforts for this holiday season are going on now.

How to apply: Interested applicants can visit the Careers website for a list of available jobs opportunities and application details.

Macy’s: The retailer plans to hire approximately 80,000 temporary workers for Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores nationwide. This includes both in-store jobs and associates to work by phone, email and online chat, as well as 18,000 positions in direct-to-consumer fulfillment facilities around the U.S. The company also plans to hire about 500 people to support the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, including makeup artists, balloon inflation crews, production assistants and float technicians. Pay depends on location, experience and job type. Benefits of working for the retailer include a 20% merchandise discount.

How to apply: Go to www.MacysJobs.com or www.BloomingdalesJOBS.com.

Target: The store recently announced it would raise its minimum wage to $11 for new employees — up $1 from last year — and plans to hire 100,000 temporary workers this holiday season — that’s 43% more than last year. Plus, there are an additional 4,500 seasonal jobs available at distribution and e-commerce fulfillment centers across the U.S. Benefits include a 10% to 20% discount depending on the merchandise. About a third of seasonal employees are hired permanently, according to a spokesperson. Target is also offering current employees more hours at their request.

How to apply: Go to www.TargetSeasonalJobs.com for more information.

More:Target to hire 100,000 temporary holiday workers

More:UPS and FedEx will hire thousands this holiday season

More:Despite bankruptcy, Toys R Us is still hiring holiday workers

JCPenney: The retailer is hiring 40,000 seasonal employees this year, around the same number as last year, at locations throughout the U.S. Jobs include in-store positions, such as cashiers, makeup consultants, salon stylists and more, as well as positions in facilities and customer care centers. Pay depends on location, experience and job type. Workers get a 25% discount on merchandise and may be eligible to continue working there after the holiday season is over.

How to apply: Those that couldn't make an Oct. 17 hiring event can search for positions at http://jobs.jcp.com/.

Toys R Us: The toy company may have just filed for bankruptcy, but that doesn’t mean it isn't hiring. A spokesperson for Toys R Us said the company will hire tens of thousands of seasonal staff, similar to last year, but declined to give a specific number. The company is looking to fill a variety of jobs at distribution centers and in-store jobs, including cashier, stock associates and the newest job of toy demonstrator.

Demonstrators will be responsible for unboxing and testing out the latest toys in store with customers. Markets with the largest seasonal hiring needs include Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and Groveport, Ohio. And for those who prefer to work from home, the toy company is also hiring approximately 900 people as virtual call center representatives in 25 states.

Benefits include a 10% merchandise discount, except on "Employee Appreciation Day" on Nov. 5, when workers receive 20% off merchandise. Last year, more than 15% of the company’s seasonal staff became permanent employees.

How to apply: Go to https://www.toysrusinc.com/holidayjobs.

Walmart: The company plans to offer more hours to current workers this holiday season, the same strategy it employed last year. That includes overtime hours to employees who want to work more. But, a spokesperson confirmed that some jobs are available on a store-by-store basis, depending on the needs of the location. Positions include cashiers, stockers and personal shoppers, among other jobs.

How to apply: Go to https://careers.walmart.com/.

Kohl's: Similar to Walmart, the company said it plans to give current employees priority by allowing them to work more hours this holiday season. But, there are still some temporary positions available at more than 1,100 stores, distribution centers and e-commerce fulfillment centers around the U.S., according to Julia Fennelly, director corporate public relations. Although the company won’t say exactly how many seasonal workers it intends to hire, Fennelly said the company is expecting to hire approximately the same number of seasonal employees as last year: 69,000. Workers get a 15% discount on merchandise and may be eligible to stay on after the holidays. Last year nearly 14,000 seasonal workers became permanent staff.

How to apply: Go to http://kohlscareers.com/.

Amazon: The e-commerce platform will nearly double its U.S. warehouse workforce for the holidays. The online retail and tech giant plans to add 120,000 temporary jobs this year. That's about the same as 2016, but the company has added thousands of permanent positions since then at dozens of fulfillment centers, sortation facilities and customer service locations. Anyone interested in one of the positions can apply online at Amazon.com/peakjobs. Amazon also is hiring seasonal retail associates at Amazon pop-up retail kiosks in malls throughout the U.S. Other seasonal jobs have recently been added to the company's website, including work-from-home customer service jobs, which are available in a variety of locations throughout the country. The job pays $10 an hour and is full time only.

How to apply: Go to www.amazon.jobs/pop-up.

UPS: The package delivery company plans to hire 95,000 people this holiday season, the same as last year. The majority of these roles involve moving packages as drivers, package handlers and driver helpers. Wages depend on the job but range from $10.20 to $32 an hour. The company is also offering weekly retention bonuses, which can increase hourly pay by several dollars an hour, or as much as $200 a week, simply by coming to work each day. Last year, 35% of seasonal hires became permanent staff.

How to apply: Go to www.UPSjobs.com.

FedEx: The shipping company plans to hire 50,000 more employees this holiday season, a combination of temporary and permanent positions. The company is looking for package handlers, drivers and other support positions. Pay depends on location and job type. The company also plans on offering more hours to existing employees.

How to apply: Go to https://careers.fedex.com/fedex/.

Contributing: Nathan Bomey