If you’re counting on a holiday job to cover Christmas presents this year, don’t wait until Thanksgiving to look for one.
Retailers added only 461,500 seasonal workers in the last three months of 2025, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That’s the smallest holiday hiring season since 2008, and 15% below the 543,100 jobs added in 2024.
This year looks worse. Challenger expects seasonal retail hiring to fall to 450,000.
It’s not just stores. Transportation and warehousing added 266,500 seasonal jobs at the end of 2025, down 12% and the fewest since 2018, according to Challenger.
Why? Prices are still high, tariffs are still working their way through supply chains, and retailers are leaning on automation, their existing workers and on-call staff before they hire anybody new, Challenger says.
Meanwhile, plenty of older Americans want the work. In August, 37.2% of Americans 55 and older were in the labor force, according to Labor Department data.
Fewer jobs plus plenty of applicants mean one thing: The people who apply early get hired. Here’s who’s hiring now, and how to land one of the jobs that’s left.
1. Spirit Halloween
The Halloween chain says it’s hiring more than 52,000 seasonal workers this year, a record, across more than 1,500 stores in the U.S. and Canada, according to its announcement.
Workers get a 30% discount, and the company offers retention bonuses. You can apply at Work4Spirit.com or text REAPER to 85000.
The obvious catch: It’s a short gig. Halloween is Oct. 31, so if you’re interested, move now.
2. Michaels
The arts and crafts chain is hiring more than 10,000 seasonal workers, with flexible hours and a 30% employee discount, according to trade publication Chain Store Age.
Here’s the part I like: Nearly half of Michaels’ seasonal jobs last year turned into permanent positions, the company said. If you want more than a few weeks of work, that’s worth knowing.
3. Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s
The outdoor retailers are holding a national hiring event Oct. 7 and 8, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at stores in the U.S. and Canada, according to Bass Pro Shops. You can apply ahead of time, and walk-ins are welcome.
Perks include merchandise discounts of up to 50%, plus holiday and vacation pay. The company hasn’t said how many people it plans to hire this year.
One thing before we keep going — the financial world is louder and dumber than ever. Hot takes everywhere. Almost none of it is worth your time. I’ve spent 35+ years cutting through the noise so you don’t have to. Sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter — 10 seconds, no spam, just the stuff that matters.
4. The big names that haven’t announced yet
Some of the biggest seasonal employers haven’t said a word yet. As of late September, Amazon, Target, Kohl’s and Bath & Body Works hadn’t announced their holiday hiring plans, according to Challenger.
Keep an eye on them. Last year, Amazon announced in mid-October that it planned to hire 250,000 seasonal workers, with average pay of more than $19 an hour, according to CBS News. Challenger says Target has typically hired about 100,000 and Kohl’s about 90,000.
Don’t wait for a press release. Check their job sites directly.
Apply now, and sell your reliability
Companies generally start hiring for the holidays one to two months ahead, according to AARP. It also notes that some seasonal workers get offered permanent jobs.
Last season, AARP put typical pay at about $17.64 an hour in retail, $20.56 for delivery drivers and $18 for gift wrappers.
When you apply, lean into what older workers bring: You show up on time, you’ve dealt with difficult customers before, and you may be free to work the weekday shifts younger people can’t. For more tips, see “10 Steps to Getting Hired for the Holidays.”
If you’re 55 or older, unemployed and living on a low income, the Labor Department’s Senior Community Service Employment Program offers paid part-time training jobs, too.
Know what a paycheck does to your Social Security
If you’re collecting Social Security and haven’t reached full retirement age, watch your earnings. In 2026, Social Security withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above $24,480, according to the Social Security Administration.
In the year you reach full retirement age, the limit rises to $65,160, and it’s $1 withheld for every $3 over, counting only what you earn before the month you hit that age.
A few weeks of seasonal work won’t push most people over the line on its own. But if you already have a part-time job, do the math first.
And remember, withheld benefits aren’t lost for good. Your monthly check is recalculated upward once you reach full retirement age. (Learn how that works in “Social Security Takes $1 of Every $2 You Earn Over $24,480 — but You’re Not Losing It. Here’s the Payback Nobody Explains.”)
If a store job isn’t for you
Standing behind a register in December isn’t everyone’s idea of fun. If you’d rather earn from home, look for remote opportunities. Or you can browse more ways to make extra money in our Solutions Center.
And if you’d like work that lasts past New Year’s, see “20 Great Part-Time Jobs for Retirees.”
Holiday jobs are harder to find this year, but they’re not gone. The ones who apply this week will be the ones working in December.
