Seasonal hiring is low this year, with openings hard to find, reported The Washington Post.
“Retailers will slash seasonal hiring to levels not seen since after the Great Recession, according to the National Retail Federation, which projects companies will add 265,000 to 365,000 positions. That would be as much as a 40% drop from the 442,000 roles they added in 2024,” the outlet wrote. The reduction reflects how companies are attempting to offset tariff costs and tighten their budgets.
While companies may be pulling back, interest in seasonal work is rising. According to data from the jobs site Indeed, job seeker interest in seasonal roles was up 27% at the end of September compared with the same time last year, and more than 50% higher than in 2023.
“Greater desire for part-time work might reflect job seekers’ frustration with one of the strangest markets in years. A rare and vexing blend of forces—low unemployment and job quits, creeping layoffs and sluggish hiring—means there are fewer opportunities, resulting in some of the toughest job-hunting conditions since the 2008 financial crisis,” the Post wrote.
The Post also reported that layoffs reached recession-like levels in October, according to data from Challenger, as recent cuts by large employers such as UPS, Amazon and Target pushed total 2025 job reductions past 1 million.
While seasonal job openings are down, the NRF forecasts record holiday spending in excess of $1 trillion in November and December—an increase between 3.7% and 4.7% compared with last year. Analysts note, however, that much of that growth is being driven by inflation.