"The number of people reaching out to us [to hire Santas] is down compared with last year - and last year was down compared with the year before. That's really due to the economy,"
"People are still having Christmas celebrations, but they are not having as big of an event at their home or office. They might not have entertainers."
"We've worked hard over the last five years to increase the number of Santas that we have in our database."
"Covid-19 was not favorable to a number of Santas and Mrs. Clauses. There just weren't a lot of new Santas coming into the field."
Labor shortages during 2021–2022 created abundant opportunities for seasonal workers, including Santas. Current hiring for temporary holiday gigs has softened, with leads for for-hire Santas down nearly 30% versus 2024. Event hosts are staging smaller home and office gatherings and often skipping entertainers. Structural changes, such as fewer malls and more online shopping, have reduced mall-Santa opportunities. Staffing agencies have intensified recruitment and expanded databases of available Santas. Reduced new entrants during the COVID period tightened supply, but an aging population and retiree interest could expand the pool of seasonal performers going forward.
Read at Axios
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