• Searches for seasonal work are at a 6-year high – up 24% compared to 2023 – as household finances remain stretched 
• Yet job postings are sluggish so far this year, down 12% from 2023, meaning it might be harder for job seekers to secure seasonal work 
• High street retailers, including Card Factory, Dunelm and Boots, dominate the top hirers for seasonal jobs

Job seekers looking to boost their income with seasonal work may find it harder to secure roles this year, according to new research from the hiring platform, Indeed. 

Searches for seasonal work are at a 6-year high as Brits seek extra income amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. As of 11 October, searches for Christmas jobs represented 0.7% of all UK searches on Indeed, up 24% on the previous year. 

Despite this strong job seeker interest in seasonal roles, hiring is sluggish compared to previous years, down 12% from 2023. As of 11 October, 0.7% of all jobs published on Indeed in the UK were holiday jobs. 

Of the previous four years analysed by Indeed, 2022 was the only one with a lower seasonal hiring share at this point in the calendar (2020 was excluded from this analysis because of pandemic-related labour market distortions).

Retailers underpin seasonal hiring 

High street retailers dominate seasonal postings. The top ten businesses by volume of seasonal job postings includes retailers of greetings cards, homeware, cosmetics, perfume, jewellery, food & drink and clothing. 

Jack Kennedy, Senior Economist at Indeed, comments: “Employers are gearing up ahead of the traditionally busy Christmas trading period, though the seasonal ramp up has been sluggish so far compared with recent years. That may reflect caution among some employers amid an uncertain economic climate. 

“These economic pressures are also impacting workers. Although inflation has come down from peaks, household finances remain stretched following substantial increases in living costs over the past couple of years. These factors may be pushing more people to consider temporary holiday work to earn some extra money to help them through what is typically an expensive time of year. 

“But with seasonal job postings not matching strong job seeker demand for this kind of work, competition to secure holiday roles this year could be more competitive than ever. So those job seekers looking for seasonal work should aim to secure it sooner rather than later.”