Seasonal Retail Hiring on Track for Lowest Level in Nearly 20 Years

NewsData.io · United States · Oct 11, 2026

Seasonal retail job openings are projected to total roughly 450,000 this year — the lowest since the Financial Crisis — down from 461,000 in 2023, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Major retailers including Walmart and Target are forgoing specific hiring targets, instead leaning on existing staffing and on-demand worker pools built up earlier in the year. Announcements from retailers have grown 'smaller and more surgical' compared to pre-pandemic norms, with Spirit Halloween and Michaels among the few to publish concrete seasonal headcount goals. Staffing firms that rely on holiday retail placements face a narrowing pipeline, with clients signaling reduced demand for temporary seasonal workers heading into Q4.