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The number of people looking for work this holiday season is surging, a new report from the jobs site Indeed finds. 

But they'll be fighting it out for spots — the number of available jobs hasn't budged much from last year, Axios' Emily Peck reports.

Why it matters: A lot of these folks are looking to make extra cash to get through the holidays — a sign that rising costs are weighing on Americans.

By the numbers: The share of job seekers looking for seasonal work was up 27% from last year as of Sept. 30, per Indeed.

Searches were 50% higher than in 2023 — and above pre-pandemic levels.

Job listings, however, are up by only 2.7% from last year.

The big picture: Seasonal hiring in retail is expected to fall to its lowest point since 2009, when the U.S. when the U.S. was still struggling with the aftermath of the financial crisis, a report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas said last month.

"Retailers are facing a lot of cost pressures, and many are uncertain about their sales, so they are being cautious over hiring," Neil Saunders, a retail analyst at GlobalData Retail, tells Axios. "This imbalance means seasonal jobs may be more difficult to come by this year."

"The cost of living has pushed people to try and find additional jobs," says Cory Stahle, a senior economist at Indeed Hiring Lab.

Zoom out: The competition for seasonal jobs is the latest sign of cooling in the broader labor market, where demand for work is outstripping demand for workers.

Companies aren't particularly eager to hire, given the economic uncertainties around policy, particularly tariffs.

Where it stands: 63% of seasonal jobs are in retail, with the rest in sales, food prep and driving, loading and stocking.

Amazon said last week that it would be hiring 250,000 seasonal workers — the same as the past couple of years.

Seasonal positions can ultimately lead to permanent roles. At Target, more than half of its holiday workers were offered positions last year, the company said.

Between the lines: Amazon alone accounts for nearly half of all holiday hiring in retail. Retailers added about 543,000 jobs in total in the last three months of 2024, per Challenger.

Yes, but: Job searchers might just be starting to look for work earlier — one way in which workers may be trying to get ahead of the competition, Indeed says.

The bottom line: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas will be disappointing for those seeking to earn some extra spending money.

More workers chase fewer holiday jobs

The competition for seasonal jobs is the latest sign of cooling in the broader labor market.

A line chart that tracks the daily rate of searches for seasonal U.S. jobs on Indeed from August 1 to September 30 for 2023, 2024, and 2025. Searches rose each year, starting at 483.2 per million in 2023 and reaching 1,520.5 by September 30. In 2025, searches peaked at 2,274.3.

The number of people looking for work this holiday season is surging, a new report from the jobs site <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Indeed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.hiringlab.org/2025/10/16/job-seeker-interest-in-holiday-jobs-surges/" data-vars-content-id="5c5b6282-9f64-40aa-ba1f-deba92cb4f25" data-vars-headline="More workers chase fewer holiday jobs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.hiringlab.org/2025/10/16/job-seeker-interest-in-holiday-jobs-surges/" target="_blank">Indeed</a> finds. <ul><li>But they&#x27;ll be fighting it out for spots — the number of available jobs hasn&#x27;t budged much from last year, Axios&#x27; Emily Peck reports.</li></ul>Why it matters: A lot of these folks are looking to make extra cash to get through the holidays — a sign that rising costs are weighing on Americans.

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