The Home Depot, Inc., will add nearly 900 seasonal workers-700 of which are in the metro area-to its 32 Minnesota locations to accommodate for the home-improvement retailer's busiest shopping season.

The company said Tuesday that it will start hiring and training new seasonal employees this month in preparation for its second annual “Spring Black Friday,” which marks the start of the retailer's busy season.

In total, the company will add 60,000 seasonal workers to its 1,976 retail stores in the United States.

According to Stephen Holmes, a Home Depot spokesman, the length of time a seasonal employee stays on with the company varies, but it usually ranges from 90 to 120 days, and some of those workers may end up as permanent employees.

The retailer said that-for the second year in a row-it will be adding some new permanent full-time and part-time positions to its stores this year, but would not disclose how many.

“As we have stated in the past, spring is our Christmas and traffic is at its highest during this season,” Craig Menear, executive vice president for merchandising at Home Depot, said in a statement. “Hiring seasonal associates and offering door-busting deals will ensure our customers have all of the service, know-how, and value they need as they look to take on outdoor projects to improve the appearance of their home.”

The Home Depot is based in Atlanta and employs more than 300,000 worldwide. The company posted revenue of $66.2 billion for the fiscal year that ended in January 2010. Financial figures for the company's most recently completed fiscal year are not yet available.