Home Depot is hiring more than 80,000 people nationwide for its big spring push — with upwards of 1,200 of those jobs slated for metro Atlanta, the company said Wednesday.

Unlike other retailers that go on a hiring spree around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, the home improvement industry sees its greatest business when plants start growing and consumers think about lawn mowers and landscaping.

More than half of the temporary workers stay on to become full-time employees.

“There’s no better time to join our team than spring, whether you’re a college student, recent grad or a veteran hoping to build a career, a retiree who wants a fun job, or anyone who simply enjoys home improvement,” Tim Crow, the Atlanta company’s executive vice president of human resources, said in a statement.

Jobs include sales, operations and cashier positions across all departments, the company said.

Home Depot is also looking for workers at its distribution facilities, including its Direct Fulfillment Center in Locust Grove.

Applications are online at Home Depot's careers site, http://www.careers.homedepot.com.