Aspiring mall santas might want to work on honing their ho-ho-hos, because this year’s holiday job market is looking a lot more cutthroat.
Indeed searches for seasonal holiday positions jumped 27% from last year and were 50% above 2023 levels as of late September, according to a report the job site released yesterday. Meanwhile, openings grew only modestly:
Holiday job listings for roles like cashier and seasonal associate rose just 2.7% from 2024, suggesting that competition might be more intense than in years past.While holiday openings are up from 2024, they are below their 2023 levels and lower than what was typical pre-pandemic.
Analysts say job seekers applying for holiday work earlier in the fall is likely due to a slowing hiring market. There might be more people looking to get paid directing customers to the ugly sweater aisle, with the US losing 32,000 private sector jobs last month, per ADP’s payroll data.
There’s even grimmer projections
The outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas expects retail holiday hiring to fall 8% from last year, possibly hitting its lowest level since 2009, when the global financial crisis made the season not so merry. The company said that looming tariffs, inflation, and an embrace of automation might be making employers less inclined to hire during the holidays.
Holiday employment heavyweights UPS and FedEx have yet to release hiring goals for this season, while Target emphasized its plans to rely on existing workers. Amazon said it plans to onboard 250,000 additional workers to help with the holiday rush, matching its hiring spree from last year.
Big picture: Gift sellers might be more reluctant to splurge on hiring this year, as they’re not optimistic about their cash haul during the festive weeks. The National Retail Federation expects an average holiday shopper to spend 1.3% less than last year.—SK