Oct 20 (Reuters) - Kroger ( KR ) said on Monday its

family of companies are looking to hire over 18,000 associates

as the U.S. grocer preps for the busy holiday season, about

7,000 fewer than last year.

The hires would be focused on customer-facing roles such as

cashiers, baggers, deli bakery clerks and pharmacy technicians.

Last year, Kroger ( KR ) had said it would recruit about 25,000

associates.

The job market in the U.S. has softened in the past few

months, with economists citing the impact of tariffs,

immigration crackdowns and mass firings. According to the Labor

Department's report, unemployment rate increased to nearly a

four-year high of 4.3% in August.

Other retailers such as e-commerce giant Amazon.com ( AMZN )

, Dick's Sporting Goods and Bath & Body Works ( BBWI )

have also announced their hiring plans for the

all-important holiday season amid concerns regarding consumer

spending triggered by tariff uncertainty.

While Dick's Sporting Goods ramped up its holiday hiring

roles, Bath & Body Works ( BBWI ) lowered its numbers. In September, the

beauty and skincare retailer said it would hire over 30,000

seasonal associates, fewer than 32,700 a year ago.

Amazon.com ( AMZN ), on the other hand, maintained its streak of

hiring 250,000 holiday workers for the third straight year.

According to Adobe Analytics, U.S. holiday online sales are

expected to grow at a slower pace this year while e-commerce

sales are expected to outshine overall sales growth.

U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of additional 100%

tariffs on Chinese imports have further sparked concerns among

retailers. But experts believe it would not impact the shopping

season as the holiday inventory has already entered the country.