Key points:
- Jobseeker searches for Christmas jobs have comfortably been the highest for this time of year since at least 2018.
- Hiring for the seasonal peak is ramping up broadly in line with previous years.
- Jobseekers’ high levels of interest mean employers may find it easier to fill seasonal roles, though candidates may face greater competition to secure one.
Holiday hiring — which typically begins in August, gathers pace through the autumn, and peaks in November as employers prepare for the busy Christmas season — is officially underway and pacing ahead of last year. Jobseeker interest, meanwhile, is robust, with searches for seasonal roles the strongest in at least nine years.
Jobseeker interest is elevated
Jobseeker searches for seasonal roles are pacing very strongly this year. As of 3 October, searches for Christmas jobs represented 0.8% of all UK searches on Indeed. That’s up 28% on the same time a year ago and is the highest level for this time of year observed since at least 2018, when comparable data was first available. Cost of living pressures and limited opportunities across the jobs market generally may be influencing the high level of interest in securing temporary holiday work during what is typically an expensive time of year.
Holiday hiring is ramping up
On the demand side, holiday hiring is gathering momentum in line with the usual seasonal pattern. As of 3 October, 0.6% of all jobs published on Indeed in the UK were holiday jobs. That’s up 16% from the same time a year ago, though pacing behind 2023 and the pre-pandemic years of 2018 and 2019.
Which roles are in demand?
The top seasonal job titles in demand this year include common retail titles such as sales associates, assistants, merchandisers and advisors.
Conclusion
Elevated searches for holiday jobs is good news for employers looking to fill seasonal roles, though it does suggest competition among jobseekers to secure a role is greater than in prior years. Early seasonal job posting trends point to a decent availability of Christmas roles, with businesses seemingly expecting to be busy during what’s typically a key trading period.
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.” Seasonal job searches are defined as those containing one or more of the same list of holiday-related terms.
