In brief
As the holiday season approaches, many Americans are struggling to find seasonal work due to a notable drop in hiring. A report indicates that retailers plan to hire 265,000 to 365,000 seasonal workers, a significant decrease from the previous year. Amid the shifting job market, individuals like Nicholas Strahl are feeling the impact, as they search for holiday employment that seems to be increasingly elusive.
Nicholas Strahl has always been able to find extra work around the holidays. But this year has been the exception.
Mr Strahl, 41, works as a part-time retail sales associate at an office supplies store just outside Indianapolis, Indiana. While the pay is okay, he said it never hurts to have a little bit more.
Finding seasonal holiday employment for extra cash to pay his bills and buy presents has been a challenge. He started his search in early October and applied to CVS, Best Buy, and a slew of other retailers - to no avail.
I've never seen the job market like this - it's pretty crazy, he said.
Seasonal hiring is poised to drop to its lowest level since the aftermath of the 2008 recession, according to the National Retail Federation. This pullback reflects caution among US businesses amid tariffs and consumer angst.
The industry group expects retailers to hire between 265,000 and 365,000 seasonal workers, down from 442,000 last year. Inflation and a reliance on automation further dampen demand for seasonal hires.
If Mr Strahl cannot land a holiday job, he plans to cut back on holiday gifts and delay some car repairs.
The labor market is described as frozen with frostbite by economist Allison Shrivastava, emphasizing the significant competition for a smaller number of jobs in the market.
Retailers like Walmart may hire on a store-by-store basis but have been ambiguous about how many workers they will add to their payrolls this holiday season, contrasting with their more open hiring announcements in past years.
Businesses are adopting a cautious approach, leading to fewer opportunities for job seekers like Ms. Secord, who recounted her own struggles to secure seasonal work amid rising living costs.
In conclusion, the holiday job market is not only more competitive than ever, but it presents a significant challenge for those looking to supplement their income during the festive season.
