Indeed: Retail roles make up 61% of seasonal job postings
Seasonal hiring is on the rise with the holidays around the corner, with retail positions once again making up a majority of the listings.
As of Sept. 30, seasonal job postings on Indeed were up about 10% from the same point last year, and were up roughly 7% ahead of 2019 levels, according to Indeed’s Hiring Lab research arm.
Retail accounted for 61% of all seasonal job postings, down slightly from two-thirds of all roles in 2019. Warehouse roles such as loading and stocking positions now account for about 9% of seasonal retail postings, up from 3.5% in 2019, which Indeed Hiring Lab credits to increased e-commerce activity and omnichannel fulfillment.
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The report noted that this year, seasonal job postings started in August at a higher level than in recent years, fell back in line with past seasons for a few weeks, then broke higher again in late September.
Job listings themselves have shifted compared to last year. At the end of September last year, about a third (34%) of postings from large companies were overtly labeled as seasonal. This year, that figure is about 20%. Part-time labels became more common over the same period, rising from 38% to almost half (49%) of larger companies’ postings, while the share labeled full-time held steady at about 20%.
More job seekers are looking for seasonal roles than last year, according to the report, with desktop searches including seasonal and holiday terms up 28% year over year.
Indeed Hiring Lab noted that unlike seasonal jobs, part-time jobs are less likely to end at the conclusion of the holiday season, suggesting that some employers may expect hiring demand to hold up into 2027.
“Employers hiring for these roles may benefit from a larger pool of interested workers, but they are also competing against rising demand from other employers,” noted Indeed Hiring Lab. “Posting early and making their pitch clear (the pay, the hours, and whether the job can lead to something longer) is likely to help them stand out. In a season that started ahead of schedule, the early movers on both sides of the market are likely to come out ahead.”
