“Christmas creep” is bad enough if you’re a shopper, but it’s even worse for retailers and seasonal job-seekers. With unemployment at a historically low rate, stores have had to start their seasonal holiday hiring earlier in the year, even though the retail sector overall has been shedding jobs. For job-seekers, this means the time to hustle is when Halloween decorations come out.
According to data from staffing firm ManpowerGroup, seasonal job volume in August rose by 64 percent compared with 2016, and July volume rose by 49 percent over the same time frame. The company said the top cities for seasonal jobs are, respectively, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Boston, and its list of the top 10 employers hiring seasonal workers includes major retailers like Walmart, Dollar General, Lowe’s and Target.
This early ramp-up comes in spite of secular economic trends pushing overall retail hiring down, however. “Brick-and-mortar retailers are getting hammered by Amazon and other online retailing,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “It’s intensified a bit more recently,” he said. “It’s really the only part of the job market that’s been laying off.”
Some of this drop was made up by greater job growth in fulfillment. As online sales have climbed, so has the need for workers in warehouses, along with fulfillment work like shipping and delivery. Challenger noted that UPS waited only until barely after Labor Day to announce its plans to hire 100,000 temporary workers for the holidays.Experts say Amazon has played a major role in this reshaping of the holiday-help labor market.
Which holiday? 4th of July?
Damn Trump. Only he would create a shortage of help resulting me waiting longer in lines for the Holidays
As it should be. Not long ago, companies were able to bring affordable workers from overseas because they didn't want to pay American wages.
This economy is now dropping in the toilet. Just wait. These retailers will have lots of choice. Every single time Trump does more or opens his mouth, the stock market and economic damage is immediately seen. I own a mid size auto part co.
Historically low unemployment rates. Thanks, Trump.