Key points:
- Job seeker interest in seasonal work was up 27% year-over-year at the end of September, and 50% above 2023 levels.
- Postings for seasonal work were also up from a year ago, but by a much more modest 2.7%.
- Only 2.1% of seasonal job postings explicitly mentioned that they were urgently hiring, down from 10% at the onset of the post-pandemic boom in late 2021.
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After skyrocketing in 2024, the share of job seekers looking for seasonal work is off to an even stronger start in 2025. As of September 30, searches for holiday jobs were already 27% above the same period in 2024 and 50% above 2023. The level of searches related to seasonal work is far above levels seen immediately before and after the pandemic.
But while searches have soared, the number of seasonal jobs available has not. Seasonal job postings are up by only 2.7% compared to the same time last year. On one hand, this may be a sign that uncertainty around tariffs and the economy hasn’t been enough to discourage businesses from pressing forward with hiring plans. On the other hand, 2.7% growth in postings is well below the 27% growth in searches, showing a potential supply and demand mismatch in the seasonal hiring market. This holiday hiring season will likely be highly competitive for job seekers, with fewer positions available and increased worker interest.
Seasonal job seekers may be trying to get ahead of the competition
One way in which workers may be trying to get ahead of the competition is by applying earlier in the year. The timing of job seekers’ searches for holiday work has started occurring much earlier in recent years. Searches have typically risen gradually from August through October before shifting into a higher gear in November. That surge came in early October last year, and this year there were signs that things were ramping up as early as the end of September.
It’s possible that some of this shift in timing represents job seekers adjusting to a cooling labor market, longer hiring times, and less employer urgency. Only 2% of holiday job postings explicitly stated that they were urgently hiring at the end of September this year. This is a significant drop compared to 10% in 2021, when the labor market was much hotter and attracting workers was difficult. Beyond urgency, workers may also feel the need to get their foot in the door earlier because they are competing for a shrinking pool of holiday jobs.
Seasonal jobs are slightly up from last year, but are below 2019
The 2.7% year-over-year bump in the level of seasonal jobs this year suggests that businesses may be comforted by continued robust consumer spending and solid GDP reports and remain largely optimistic about the outlook going into the holiday season. But even then, the labor market softening observed in the overall jobs numbers is still visible in this year’s holiday hiring trends. This year is above 2024’s pace but still 3.4% below 2023 and 2.5% below the 2019 pre-pandemic norm. In short, the pool of seasonal job postings has shrunk gradually in recent years, while job seeker interest has surged. The result is a more competitive seasonal job market with fewer opportunities for a growing supply of workers.
Retail job titles dominate the list of top seasonal jobs
Seasonal jobs are often retail jobs. On September 30, 63% of seasonal jobs fell into the retail category. While the share fluctuates a bit from year to year, retail always accounts for about two-thirds of the opportunities, with the remainder appearing in a mix of sectors, including sales, driving, loading and stocking, and food preparation and service. It is not surprising then that the top job titles for seasonal work include seasonal associates, seasonal retail sales associates, and cashiers.
Conclusion
The 2025 holiday hiring landscape is shaping up to be more competitive for job seekers than it has been in recent years. While seasonal job postings are up slightly compared to last year, they remain below pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, job seeker interest has surged, with many workers starting their search earlier in the year to get ahead of the competition. Seasonal work is still out there, but it’s not as easy to come by as it was a few years ago. All told, this year’s holiday season looks to be a tougher one for job seekers and a little easier for employers.
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.
