Key points:
- In early September, 2.0% of Australian job postings mentioned Christmas in the job title — down from 2.6% at the same time last year.
- Jobseeker interest through early September is unusually strong, possibly reflecting higher unemployment and the lingering impact of Australia’s cost-of-living crisis.
- In early September, 1.6% of jobseeker searches were for Christmas-related jobs, up from 1.2% last year.
While it’s still early, Christmas hiring is off to a sluggish start this year, with Christmas-related job postings tracking well behind the past three years. That’s unfortunate for jobseekers, who are searching earlier and more often for these jobs than we’ve seen before.
Demand for Christmas workers is often determined by the number of products you expect to sell and the number of customers you need to service. Both increase sharply throughout November and December, requiring retailers to temporarily increase their staffing.
In the June quarter, the volume of retail products sold was 1.5% higher than a year ago. That’s a notable turnaround from the downward trend throughout 2023 and 2024. That’s been achieved via strong population growth, which offset fewer volumes per household.
Three interest rate cuts from the Reserve Bank of Australia have also supported household spending, along with government subsidies that have partially addressed cost-of-living issues.
In many respects, retail conditions leading into Christmas this year are brighter than we’ve seen in several years. And yet, hiring trends don’t reflect that optimism.
Christmas recruitment started late this year
On September 10, job postings featuring keywords such as ‘Christmas’ or ‘Xmas’ in their job titles accounted for 2.0% of all Australian job postings on Indeed. That compares unfavourably to 2023 and 2024, when it was 2.4% and 2.6% at the same stage.
While Christmas-related hiring has certainly been sluggish, it’s perhaps not as bad as it first seems. The gap between this year and last has closed considerably in recent weeks, from 55% in mid-August to 21% by September 10. Sluggish hiring may simply reflect delayed hiring rather than reduced hiring.
Christmas hiring last year peaked in early October before declining sharply throughout November and December.
Jobseekers are active earlier this year
Searches for Christmas work usually peak later than job postings, often towards the end of November (compared to October for job postings). But this year, jobseeker activity is tracking well ahead of schedule, with search volumes reaching current levels a week earlier than in 2024.
On September 10, 1.6% of searches on Indeed were for Christmas jobs, up from 1.3% and 1.1% in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Search volumes might be higher and earlier than normal due to the lingering impacts of Australia’s cost-of-living crisis and the recent increase in the unemployment rate. Christmas jobs often aren’t permanent, but they can provide a crucial cash injection for households during what is often the most expensive time of year.
And if that’s true, then the typical jobseeker for these Christmas jobs may also have changed — still plenty of students, but also a lot of adults facing tight household budgets.
Who is hiring this year?
While Christmas job opportunities are heavily concentrated in the retail sector, a spending frenzy can spill over to other parts of the economy. A day-long shopping spree isn’t complete without meals, snacks and refreshments, creating food service roles. School holidays create youth-related jobs at holiday camps and activities, while holiday travel boosts hiring in the hospitality sector. And don’t forget that all those toys, clothes and other gifts don’t magically appear on shelves — they must be first delivered to stores from warehouses, creating jobs in transport and logistics.
Conclusion
Australia’s Christmas hiring season is off to a slow start. Job opportunities are tracking well behind last year, although the gap has narrowed in recent weeks. But the good news for employers is that jobseekers are more active than ever, with search activity pacing well ahead of last year.
Methodology
We define Christmas job postings as those with one or more holiday-themed terms in the job title, including, but not limited to, ‘Christmas,’ ‘Xmas’ and ‘holiday.’ Seasonal job searches are defined as those containing one or more of the same list of holiday-related terms.
