Home depot hiring more than 80,000 workers for spring

Home Depot, the nation's largest home-improvement retailer, says it has started to hire more than 80,000 seasonal workers for the spring selling season, the company's busiest

period. That's level with the last few years. The positions include both part-time and full-time workers in stores and distribution centers. Read MoreRichestAmericans prefer this type

of credit card The hiring comes as the Atlanta-based company is moving beyond a huge data breach last fall that affected 56 million credit and debit cards. Sign outside a Home Depot store in

Hawthorne, New York. Scott Mlyn | CNBC Home Depot reported in November that its third-quarter profit rose 14 percent on rising sales. That suggests the breach has not shaken the faith of

its customers. Home Depot's stock has risen more than 40 percent in the past year. Read MoreHome Depot namesCraig Menear Chairman Typically, more than half of Home Depot's spring

seasonal workers stay on, says Tim Crow, Home Depot executive vice president of human resources. Crow told The Associated Press the hiring level isn't an indication of the business

environment or what it sees for the spring season, but more about its needs. "It gives us the ability to get a whole new wave of folks to join our team," he added. For most

retailers, the holiday shopping season, which spans November to December, is their busiest season. But for Home Depot and other home-improvement stores, it's the spring selling season

that's the biggest sales generator as shoppers spruce up their lawns and work on their homes. The company is expected to report fourth-quarter results Feb. 24. Read MoreThreerewards

programs worth signing up for Home Depot, which operates 2,269 stores in all 50 states and employs more than 300,000 associates, has benefited from the housing recovery. The Commerce

Department reported last month that construction of new homes rebounded in December, helping to push activity for the entire year to the highest level since the peak of the housing boom nine

years ago. This spring, Home Depot is giving its sales associates with 40,000 Web-enabled devices to speed checkout and help associates find products, check inventory or explain product

features. Crow says that will make workers more productive.