Home Depot goes on Bay Area hiring spree

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- There's a popular saying, when God closes a door, he opens a window, and right now that's true for Radio Shack workers. Radio Shack is closing more than two dozen stores, but a window of opportunity is opening at another retailer in the Bay Area.

Home Depot is hiring hundreds and hundreds of jobs in the Bay Area, as the home improvement season is about to kick in.

Spring is just around the corner and the warmer weather heats up the home improvement market. Contractors say the busy season is coming soon.

"We see a lot of renovations during this time. A lot of this stuff we go out and give estimates on. They're usually remodels on kitchens, baths, stuff like that," said James Rego of Voltz Electric.

Home Depot is hiring 1,500 people in the Bay Area and 80,000 across the nation.

The Home Depot on Blossom Hill Road in San Jose is looking to hire 30 to 40 people for mostly part time jobs in several different departments.

And as more people do more work on their homes, the demand for help inside Home Depot increases.

"We work a lot more, overtime but it's all good. You know, helping people out and stuff. More business. Definitely more trips to home depot, that's for sure," said Cheney Yepiz with Ad Window Services.

Less than 2 miles north on Blossom Hill Road at the Princeton Plaza Mall is a business that's seen better days. Radio Shack has filed for bankruptcy protection and plans on closing more than 1,700 stores across the nation, including 175 in California and more than two dozen in the Bay Area. The handful of workers will soon be looking for another place of employment.

"Very hard, economically. And I know the young folks will find another job, but the transition can be quite painful," said customer Jackie Nash.