If landing a seasonal job is on this year's holiday wishlist, you could be facing some stiff competition. Key findings from an Indeed Hiring Lab report released last week indicate the once-frenzied labor market is cooling. As of September 24, seasonal postings – which tend to ramp up in September and peak in November – dropped 12% from their 2021 peak, but still came in 0.5% higher than the same time in 2019.
At the same time, the cooling overall demand has been met with intensifying interest among seasonal jobseekers. Searches are up 18% compared to last year, "signaling more competition for available holiday positions," the report says. "That could be for a number of reasons. It could be that more people are interested in seasonal work to help kind of counterbalance the expenses of the holiday season.