More people are looking for holiday seasonal jobs this year: What that means

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FILE - Now Hiring for the Holidays sign in window of Crate & Barrel store near Union Square, Manhattan. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

More people are looking for seasonal jobs ahead of the holidays, according to recent data collected by Indeed.

More Americans are trying to get ahead by finding extra work during the holiday season as consumer frustration over the state of inflation continues and the job market weakens. 

Looking for seasonal work

By the numbers:

Compared to the same time last year, the percentage of people who are seeking holiday work is already 27% higher and 50% higher compared to 2023.

The reason behind the surge in searches could be because job seekers are hoping to get ahead of the competition, Indeed suggested. 

The other side:

While the number of people who are looking for seasonal work has grown significantly, job postings have not increased much.

Compared to last year, seasonal job postings were only up by 2.7%.

What they're saying:

"This holiday hiring season will likely be highly competitive for job seekers, with fewer positions available and increased worker interest," according to Indeed. 

Dig deeper:

Job openings remain at healthy levels but have fallen steadily since peaking at a record 12.1 million in March 2022 as the U.S. economy roared back from COVID-19 lockdowns.

The U.S. job market has lost momentum this year, partly because of the lingering effects of 11 interest rate hikes by the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve in 2022 and 2023 and partly because President Donald Trump’s trade wars have created uncertainty that is paralyzing managers trying to make hiring decisions.

Labor Department revisions earlier this month showed that the economy created 911,000 fewer jobs than originally reported in the year that ended in March. That meant that employers added an average of fewer than 71,000 new jobs a month over that period, not the 147,000 first reported. Since March, job creation has slowed even more — to an average 53,000 a month.

Seasonal retail jobs top the list

More than half (63%) of seasonal jobs landed in the retail category, according to Indeed. 

Here were the top seasonal retail jobs to which people were applying: 

1. Seasonal associate
2. Seasonal retail sales associate
3. Cashier
4. Stocking associate
5. Beauty advisor
6. Stocker
7. Unloader
8. Sales associate
9. Delivery driver
10. Locality manager
11. Food service worker
12. Fulfillment associate
13. Retail sales associate
14. Truck driver
15. Seasonal warehouse associate