Job seekers are more interested than ever in seasonal work, as demand for those roles returns to pre-pandemic norms.

Key Points

• As of September 24, job postings for seasonal positions were 0.5% higher than the same day in 2019, with demand now 12% lower than its 2021 peak.
• Searches for seasonal jobs as a share of total job seeker activity are the highest in recent history — 18%  higher than the same time last year — meaning more competition for holiday postings.
• Seasonal postings in retail are particularly strong, standing at eight percentage points above last year’s share.

Demand for holiday jobs has returned to 2019 levels, offering a welcome reprieve from the overheated post-pandemic labor market of 2021. But with more job seekers interested in filling seasonal roles than ever before, 2024’s labor market is more competitive than in recent years.

Postings for seasonal jobs return to 2019 levels

Historically, postings for seasonal workers start ramping up in September and peak in November, offering a preview of what we can expect as we head into the holidays. This year, job postings advertising Christmas and seasonal employment returned to pre-pandemic levels following last year’s postings trend. While employers aren’t entering the holidays with new pessimism, the hiring frenzy of recent years has certainly cooled off.

Seasonal retail postings reach new high

If there is one sector that has gotten into the holiday spirit, it’s retail. Retail sales have been a stronghold amid economic uncertainty, and employers seem confident that will carry into the holidays. The retail sector accounted for 66% of all seasonal postings as of Sept 24, 2024, up nearly eight percentage points from last year’s share and four percentage points above the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. 

The increased share for retail postings has come at the expense of the sales sector, which now accounts for just 10% of seasonal job opportunities (down three percentage points compared to last year). This is consistent with broader hiring trends across the retail and sales sector, with demand in recent years considerably stronger for retail talent.

Holiday searches surpass their pre-pandemic levels 

Job seekers seem eager for seasonal work as searches for holiday postings have surpassed their pre-pandemic baseline. Any lingering concerns about COVID-19 exposure through in-person work (like retail), seem to have abated, as searches for seasonal jobs as a share of total searches reached their highest levels in recent years. However, this increased interest comes alongside fewer opportunities than in 2022 and 2021, which means greater competition for seasonal positions.

Conclusion

The data from seasonal hiring is similar to the overall picture of the labor market in that both present a somewhat mixed and uncertain outlook. While demand has cooled, the supply of workers is strong. The retail sector appears confident that holiday spending will be solid, and demand for workers is returning to 2019 levels. But while job postings for seasonal help hold steady, the competition for those positions has intensified, as interest reaches a new high. If you’re looking for seasonal work, expect more competition than in recent years. If you’re looking for seasonal workers, you’ll likely have more job seekers to choose from. 

Methodology

We define seasonal job postings as those with one or more holiday-related terms in the job title, including but not limited to, “holiday,” “seasonal,” and “Christmas.” Definitions change slightly from year to year, so previous holiday hiring analyses are not directly comparable. Seasonal job searches are defined as those containing one or more of the same list of holiday-related terms.

The number of job postings on Indeed.com, whether related to paid or unpaid job solicitations, is not indicative of the potential revenue or earnings of Indeed, which comprises a significant percentage of the HR Technology segment of its parent company, Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. Job posting numbers are provided for information purposes only and should not be viewed as an indicator of the performance of Indeed or Recruit. Please refer to the Recruit Holdings investor relations website and regulatory filings in Japan for more detailed information on revenue generation by Recruit’s HR Technology segment.