"Retailers will slash seasonal hiring to levels not seen since after the Great Recession, the National Retail Federation projects. Companies are expected to add 265,000 to 365,000 positions, the trade group's CEO said in a conference call last week. That would be as much as a 40 percent drop from the 442,000 roles they added in 2024, the NRF noted, a reflection of how companies are attempting to offset tariff costs and tighten their budgets."
"The staffing firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas also forecasts the weakest holiday hiring since 2009, "with only a handful of companies making public commitments to holiday staffing," according to a September report. Andy Challenger, the firm's senior vice president, pointed to the collision of inflationary pressures, continued reliance by companies on "automation and permanent staff instead of large waves of seasonal hires.""
""While we could see a late hiring push if holiday sales surprise to the upside, the cautious pace of announcements so far suggests that companies are not betting on a big seasonal surge," Challenger said in the report. "This year may be more about doing more with less.""
Seasonal retail hiring is projected to fall sharply, with employers expected to add roughly 265,000 to 365,000 temporary positions, a decline of up to 40% from 2024. Staffing firm forecasts indicate the weakest holiday hiring since 2009. Employers are reducing seasonal roles to offset tariff costs, tighten budgets, and rely more on automation and permanent staff instead of large waves of seasonal hires. Government data releases are delayed by a shutdown, complicating labor market analysis. Meanwhile, job seeker interest in seasonal work has risen substantially, up 27% year-over-year and over 50% compared to 2023.
Read at The Washington Post
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