Published December 18, 2024
2024 Seasonal Retail Hiring Update
Seasonal employers are in the thick of the holiday season, and November is typically the month with the highest seasonal hiring. Though seasonal Retail numbers were revised up for October, November’s total is down 5% from the same month last year, according to an analysis by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., using non-seasonally adjusted data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Retailers added a revised 133,900 jobs in October, up from 124,700 jobs added. They added 280,500 jobs in November, down 5% from the 290,900 jobs added in November 2023. It is the second-lowest total for November after 263,200 seasonal Retail jobs were added in 2022.
So far this season, Retailers have added 414,400 seasonal jobs, down 7% from 444,500 jobs added in October and November last year.
Challenger predicted Retailers will add 520,000 seasonal jobs in Q4, down 8% from 564,200 added October through December 2023.
Seasonal Hiring in Transportation & Warehousing
Meanwhile, in Transportation and Warehousing, October’s total was revised down to 52,100 jobs added from 61,300 new seasonal hires, according to the BLS. In November, the industry added 155,300 seasonal jobs, up 11% from the 140,300 jobs added in November last year. So far this quarter, employers in this sector added 207,400, up 1% from the 204,700 seasonal positions employers in this sector added in October and November 2023.
With the rise of online shopping, we’re seeing a shift in seasonal hiring from traditional Retail roles to Transportation and Warehousing positions. These jobs often come with higher wages and benefits, making them a more attractive option compared to some retail positions,” said Andrew Challenger, Senior Vice President of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.
Seasonal employers announced plans to hire 659,850 workers this season, the highest total since 2021, when hiring plans reached 961,300, according to Challenger’s tracking. The firm has tracked seasonal hiring plans since 2012.
