Seasonal job surge: searches soar however openings stall

WITH Halloween only a few days away, and the Christmas season approaching quick, job looking platform Certainly has launched statistics on seasonal job searches: curiosity in vacation jobs is spiking significantly, however discovering one is changing into increasingly more tough. The searches for seasonal positions are the very best they’ve been since Certainly started their information in 2018.

Seasonal searches spike, however alternatives dwindle

Based on Certainly, normal searches for seasonal jobs are up 27 per cent on the finish of September in comparison with 2024, and 50 per cent above the degrees they had been at in 2023, whereas the variety of job postings have elevated by only a meagre 2.7 per cent. Simply 2.1 per cent of seasonal job postings talked about they had been urgently hiring, down from 10 per cent in 2021 amid the post-pandemic job market increase.

The UK: barely higher off, however nonetheless scrambling for further revenue

Within the UK, for instance, searches for Christmas jobs made up 0.8 per cent of all searches on Certainly’s UK website on October 3, up from 0.62 per cent in 2024 and representing a 29 per cent improve total. Nonetheless, the UK is doing higher than different international locations relating to seasonal job alternatives: as of the identical date, 0.58 per cent of all jobs posted on Certainly within the UK had been vacation posts, up from 0.5 per cent in 2024. This can be a 16 per cent improve year-on-year.

Retail jobs high the record for seasonal alternatives

Retail jobs are at the moment on the high of the market relating to seasonal hires: 63 per cent of seasonal jobs on September 30, 2025, fell into the retail sphere. (This quantity is in alignment with previous years, as retail jobs sometimes take up two-thirds of seasonal alternatives). A majority of these jobs may be key for unemployed residents trying to get again into the job market. Nonetheless, the less necessities a job posting has for its candidates, the harder the competitors, and many candidates on the lookout for a seasonal job are having no luck by any means. 

Within the UK, the highest 10 Christmas job titles additionally comprise a substantial variety of retail positions, together with seasonal affiliate, gross sales assistant, and retail gross sales affiliate.

Different seasonal alternatives embody positions in gross sales, hospitality, driving, loading and stocking, and meals preparation and repair. The supply of jobs also can depend upon whether or not the job searcher is on the lookout for a part-time or full-time place.

The vacation job market: extra aggressive year-on-year

Furthermore, the very modest variety of job postings could also be an indication that the job market at the moment stands at a severe provide and demand imbalance, in addition to a decreased employer urgency. Attracting staff was significantly tougher for firms as not too long ago as 2021.

“This vacation hiring season will probably be extremely aggressive for job seekers, with fewer positions accessible and elevated employee curiosity,” stated Cory Stahle, a senior economist with Certainly, in a publish analysing Certainly’s statistics. 

The UK labour market stays weak, based on Certainly and the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics. Based on the latter, the unemployment price for individuals within the UK aged 16 years and older totalled 4.8 per cent within the three months to August 2025. That is up from 4.7 per cent in July of 2025.

Job searchers making an attempt to get forward of the curve

The surge in job searches shall be unsurprising to many; the vacation season, whereas it brings cheer, togetherness, and celebrations, additionally comes with appreciable prices, and in lots of locations the place the price of dwelling has spiked lately together with within the UK, many are left scrambling for a second or third stream of revenue.

Job searchers, based on the statistics, have additionally been making use of for positions earlier and earlier year-on-year, making an attempt to get forward of the competitors. Searches for seasonal positions have proven to rise steadily from August via October, and ramp up significantly in November. This 12 months, the surge passed off as early as the top of September.

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