Christmas may feel far off, but for those who bring the festive magic to life, the work has already begun.
Behind every December tradition — whether it is a Christmas market, skating on an ice rink, or a trip to Santa’s workshop — there is a team of individuals who keep everything running, giving an extra boost to the labour market.
As the festive period approaches, seasonal job openings are therefore on the rise.
According to hiring platform Indeed, searches for these positions in 2025 reached their highest level in early October, the strongest since the firm’s records began in 2018.
As of 3 October, searches for Christmas jobs made up 0.8% of all UK searches on the site. That’s compared to 0.62% in 2024, a roughly 29% increase.
In 2023, the total came to 0.54%, a jump from 0.39% in 2021.
Looking at the 7-day average up to 3 October 2025, it is again 27% higher than last year.
Limited job opportunities
“Cost of living pressures and limited opportunities across the jobs market generally may be influencing the high level of interest in securing temporary holiday work during what is typically an expensive time of year,” said Jack Kennedy, Indeed’s senior economist.
According to the platform, UK hiring demand remains weak but has not worsened in recent months. As of 19 September 2025, job postings were 22.5% below their pre-pandemic levels from 1 February 2020, and about 14% lower than a year ago.
Supplementing household income
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also indicate that the UK labour market continues to soften. The UK unemployment rate for people aged 16 years and over totalled 4.8% in the three months to August 2025, up from 4.7% in July.
Separate figures from HMRC showed the number of workers on company payrolls dropped by 10,000 in September, although economists have noted that the slowdown in the job market is easing compared to prior months.
People looking to supplement their household income often show the most interest in seasonal jobs.
Jack Kennedy noted that these tend to be individuals seeking flexible, part-time work, such as young people, students, and those with other personal commitments.
Holiday hiring is rising but not at its strongest level
Seasonal job posting trends signal a decent availability of Christmas roles this year.
As of 3 October, 0.58% of all jobs posted on Indeed in the UK were holiday posts, up from 0.5% in 2024. This represents a 16% year-on-year increase. However, it still lags behind 2023 (0.67%) and the pre-pandemic years of 2018 and 2019 (0.86%).
Looking at the 7-day average up to 3 October, it is 18% higher than last year.
Retail and hospitality roles in demand
When job titles are ranked by the number of Christmas job postings between 1 August and 3 October 2025, retail and hospitality roles stand out. The top 10 Christmas job titles include seasonal associate, sales assistant, and retail sales associate.
Other frequent listings are merchandiser, client advisor, sales associate, and operations assistant. Roles such as sales advisor, seasonal retail sales associate, and customer assistant also feature prominently.
Holiday hiring typically begins in August, increases through the autumn season and reaches its peak in November as employers prepare for the busy Christmas period.
“Elevated searches for holiday jobs is good news for employers looking to fill seasonal roles, though it does suggest that competition among jobseekers to secure a role is greater than in prior years,” Kennedy said.
Similar trend in the US
Several news reports indicate that Christmas job opportunities increase significantly during the festive season across Europe. The same trend is seen in the US.
Indeed data indicates that jobseeker interest in seasonal work was up 27% year-over-year at the end of September and 50% higher than in 2023. Seasonal job postings saw a modest increase of just 2.7% from last year.
According to Indeed, seasonal job postings are defined as those that include one or more holiday-related terms in the job title, such as holiday, seasonal, or Christmas.