ATLANTA - The Home Depot has started filling more than 80,000 positions as it prepares for spring, the company's busiest selling season.  That is the same number Home Depot hired for last year's spring season, but well above the 50,000 hired in 2011.

Lowe's, Home Depot's chief competitor, announced in February it is hiring 25,000 for the 2014 spring season. Lowe's began hiring on a market-by-market basis based on which locations were warming fastest beginning in Florida, South Texas, Arizona and southern California, where warmer, spring-like temperatures were already arriving.

"Spring is our peak hiring season, giving us the opportunity to find some of the best associates who are passionate about customer service," said Tim Crow, Executive VP — Human Resources. The spring hire is a barometer of home remodeling and building activity.

Job seekers apply at www.careers.homedepot.com. The Home Depot operates 2,263 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico.