Retail-related job postings fell sharply in October, according to the Indeed Hiring Lab. Openings in hospitality, retail shops, and food services were down 16% from last year. This decline raises concerns about consumer spending during the crucial holiday shopping season.
Seasonal hiring in retail has now slipped below pre-pandemic levels. The trend offers an early signal of weakened demand expectations among U.S. retailers for the upcoming holidays.
Publicly traded retailers are also announcing fewer holiday hiring plans than before. Walmart and Target have not released seasonal hiring targets for 2025, despite doing so in previous years. Burlington Stores, which aimed to hire over 24,000 workers last season, declined to share its goals for this year.
Economists say several pressures may be influencing hiring restraint. Tariffs, lower consumer confidence, and the recent 41-day U.S. government shutdown are key factors, according to Indeed Hiring Lab senior economist Daniel Culbertson. Consumer sentiment hit a three-and-a-half-year low in early November, based on the University of Michigan’s latest survey.
Some companies, however, are still expanding their seasonal workforce. Amazon confirmed in October that it will hire 250,000 seasonal workers for the third year in a row. Catalyst Brands, owner of Aéropostale and JCPenney, said it plans to hire 13,000 seasonal employees. JCPenney alone added nearly 10,000 seasonal workers in 2024.
Many retailers believe their current staffing levels are already strong. National Retail Federation chief economist Mark Mathews said employers are seeing fewer workers voluntarily quitting, reducing the need for aggressive holiday hiring. The NRF expects retailers to hire between 265,000 and 365,000 seasonal workers this year, compared to 442,000 in 2024.
Mathews added that fewer retailers are openly announcing hiring numbers. Some may wait to increase staffing later in the season if demand rises, adopting a cautious “wait and see” approach.
Across the broader economy, U.S. employers shed more than 11,000 jobs per week through late October, according to payroll processor ADP.
