Struggling to Find Holiday Work: A Seasonal Challenge for Many

Wed Nov 26 2025 21:40:34 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

This holiday season, many job seekers face a tough challenge in finding seasonal employment, as retailers scale back their hiring amid economic uncertainties.

As the holiday season approaches, job seekers like Nicholas Strahl are struggling to find seasonal work, a trend expected to drop to its lowest level since the 2008 recession. Economic factors including inflation and tariffs, coupled with increased competition for fewer job openings, highlight a challenging market for those seeking extra income during this time. Both big and small retailers have adopted cautious hiring strategies, leading to concerns about holiday spending and economic repercussions.

Struggling to Find Holiday Work: A Seasonal Challenge for Many

This holiday season, many job seekers face a tough challenge in finding seasonal employment, as retailers scale back their hiring amid economic uncertainties. Nicholas Strahl, a part-time retail sales associate in Indiana, has found it particularly difficult this year to secure extra work. He started searching for seasonal jobs in October but encountered numerous rejections.

I've never seen the job market like this - it's pretty crazy, Strahl remarked, highlighting the competitive nature of the current job landscape. According to the National Retail Federation, seasonal hiring is projected to drop significantly. This year's expected hiring of 265,000 to 365,000 seasonal workers is a decrease from 442,000 last year, signaling cautiousness among retailers amid rising tariffs, inflation, and automation.

Industry experts warn that the market is oversaturated with job seekers competing for a shrinking number of positions. Allison Shrivastava from the Indeed Hiring Lab noted that the labour market is experiencing a frozen with frostbite condition, where the steady number of job postings contrasted with a larger applicant pool reflects a paralysis in the job market.

Adding to the uncertainty, significant employers like Walmart and Target are now hesitant to announce their holiday hiring plans. Smaller retailers like Hobby Works are also adjusting their hiring timelines due to economic pressures and anticipated consumer spending cuts.

For hopefuls like Tanya Secord, despite prior successes, this season has been fraught with disappointment. Moreover, the recent government shutdown disrupted the release of official labor market data, further complicating hiring predictions.

As the holiday shopping period nears, those like Strahl are preparing for potential sacrifices if seasonal employment remains elusive. With a tight job market and rising costs, the upcoming holidays look challenging not just for job seekers, but for consumers and retailers alike.