The amount of jobs available out there is going up, however there is also a larger amount of people applying for them so it is important to know where to look for hourly jobs, how to apply, and basically the whole process behind the hiring of a person so you are better fit to find an hourly pay job, or any job for that matter.
With the economy the way it is hourly job positions are few and far between, and when companies do hire on today, they have the option to be much more picky when it comes to resume's and applications. It is important to take initiative and follow up yourself. Call them two days after turning in your application, speak to the manager. While they don't usually have the final say in who is hired, most companies send it up to the corporate section of the business, they do get to put in a good word, and when it's an hourly wage job, chances are a good word is a step above most of the other applicants. Why wouldn't you do this? There is no reason to not go the extra mile when it is so easy.
Applying for many hourly jobs in your area is a good plan as well, the more jobs you apply for the better chance you have of getting one of them. It is important not to be picky, and to put down as many hours as you can get. A lot of places look for flexibility, and as you progress there you should be able to get your schedule changed to something convenient for you. It only will take about 6 months to show you aren't going to be one of those expendable employees. If it is important that you have weekends off, apply for an hourly job at one of the many non retail businesses, and even if you have to work shifts you don't want, you'll certainly have the weekends off.
Hourly positions are one of the most common types of employment one can find, and many of these jobs require little to no experience, so it is important to make yourself stand out from the rest of the applicants. Go the extra mile, and list out exactly why you should be hired. Attaching a resume' may seem like a bit much for an application to entry level job, but with so many people applying it does make you stand out and that's what is important. List your skills and the benefits to having you as an employee.
When applying for a job, even an hourly entry level position, it is important to sell yourself. The competitive nature of the job market mean you have to go beyond the crowd, but this isn't so difficult, and with a little extra effort you'll be employed in no time.