Key facts
- Retail hiring for the holiday season is expected to be lower than last year's 461,000 hires.
- This year's projected 450,000 seasonal retail jobs represent the lowest gain in nearly 20 years.
- Spirit Halloween plans to hire 52,000 seasonal workers, and Michaels plans to hire 10,000.
- Amazon has not yet announced its hiring plans.
- Walmart will maintain last year's staffing approach without a specific hiring target.
- Target will rely on its existing on-demand team of about 43,000 workers and delegate further hiring to local managers.
Retailers are scaling back their seasonal hiring efforts for the upcoming holiday season, with projections indicating the lowest number of new hires in nearly two decades. This trend suggests a shift in strategy, moving away from the traditional large-scale seasonal influx.
According to career transition firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, this year is on track to see around 450,000 seasonal retail jobs, a decrease from last year's 461,000. This figure represents the lowest gain in almost 20 years.
Companies like Spirit Halloween and Michaels have announced their hiring intentions, planning to bring on 52,000 and 10,000 seasonal workers, respectively. However, major players such as Amazon have yet to disclose their plans. Walmart indicated it would follow last year's strategy, focusing on existing staff readiness rather than setting a specific hiring goal. Target plans to utilize its existing on-demand team of approximately 43,000 workers and empower local managers to make further hiring decisions.
Experts suggest this reduction in seasonal hiring reflects a broader trend toward earlier recruitment and a decreased reliance on temporary staff. Retailers are increasingly moving hiring efforts to the summer months to ensure full staffing by the critical November and December period. This strategic adjustment, partly driven by back-to-school hiring at some Target stores, may impact the traditional role of seasonal jobs as an entry point into the retail workforce.