Holiday Hiring in Retail 2022

As we brace for the holiday season, a surge in holiday hiring in retail is on the horizon. Despite the ongoing growth in the number of digital shoppers, retailers seem to be preparing for a rise in in-person purchases this winter. For the first time since the pandemic, consumers expect to buy more in stores (46 percent) than online (45 percent), according to the NDP.

And so retailers’ hiring plans should certainly be in line with demand.

Overall, the retail trade sector employs roughly 15.8 million workers in the US, which makes it one of the country’s largest industries. And it’s unquestionably important for it to stay strong despite the long-lasting economic hangover of the pandemic.

With the holidays approaching, seasonal jobs from mall Santas through personal shoppers to Christmas tree sellers are on the rise. For instance, the tree market alone employs more than 100,000 people. Well, it shouldn’t come as a surprise given that the U.S. sells 25 to 30 million Christmas trees every year.

The National Retail Federation anticipated that shops would hire between 450,000 and 600,000 seasonal employees this year. And major retailers naturally play the biggest role in it.

Amazon hires 150,000 seasonal workers

Six giant retailers were planning to hire more than 350,000 in total. And the world’s largest online sales platform Amazon.com said it would employ 150,000 full-time, seasonal and part-time workers in different operational roles. This figure is roughly the same as last year.

Target’s 2022 seasonal hiring plans were also similar to those of 2021. And they involved 100,000 new jobs with starting salaries ranging from $15 to $24 per hour.

Walmart’s seasonal hires down to 40,000

However, not all of the large retailers are keeping their new hires comparable to their last year’s figures. Walmart, for instance, welcomes far less seasonal workers this year — 40,000 in contrast to 150,000 employed in 2021.

This drastic drop may reflect high inflation and an impending recession that shoppers and merchants are experiencing this year.

Nearly 90 percent of participants in an ICSC Christmas survey said that inflation would have an impact on their holiday spending.

Despite the fact that shoppers are expected to spend 6.7 percent more over the Christmas season this year than they did in 2021, 43 percent of consumers are looking for discounts and special offers. And this is the exact call retailers are trying to answer.