Despite Rising Living Costs, Workers Are Still Reluctant To Take On Seasonal Holiday Jobs

The holidays are usually a great time to pick up some extra cash with seasonal work. But, this year it seems like workers aren’t that interested in the jobs and small business owners are worried.

Findings from a new report from an Incfile survey revealed about 34% of respondents said that it is harder to find help this year compared to years prior.

The report covered data across a myriad of business-related topics and delved into scenarios founders said were most important to them. The biggest concern founders was boosting sales this holiday season, with 39% sharing it’s their main cause of stress. Namely, securing goods within budget (22%) and hiring good help (24%).

These findings are surprising as inflation has driven the cost of nearly everything way up, with the current US rate sitting at around 9%. According to the Labor Department there are about 10.7 million open jobs, which is a slight uptick from last year’s 10.4 million. Of those, the seasonal positions are slow to be filled. “I’ve never seen a market like this,” said Matt Lavery, UPS’s global director of sourcing and recruiting in a 2021 interview with The Christian Science Monitor. Nearly a year later, the employment situation is nearly the same despite ballooning inflation. “Normally when you’re talking about people coming off unemployment benefits, you see surges in candidates. We’re not seeing those.”
Economists blame the lag on the residual effects of the Great Resignation that’s spanned the last two years whereby workers were quitting their jobs at staggering rates for roles they found more fitting. The workforce movement has since forced employers to sweeten their benefits packages for employees to keep them within the company, including work-life balance measures.

According to Incfile, 80% of employers are also giving back to their employees, offering time off to spend with their families this holiday season.

“The holiday season is one of the busiest and most exciting times of year for small business owners,” said Dustin Ray, Chief Growth Officer & Co-CEO, Incfile. “It’s encouraging to hear, as the holiday season gets underway, that 87% of small business owners feel supported by their community. It’s been a difficult couple of years, and to have a strong sense of community is a key pillar for small business owners to realize success.”