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Nearly a third fewer candidates are looking for seasonal jobs compared with the equivalent periods in 2019 and 2018, with potentially significant effects for consumers at Christmas. Analysis by jobs listing giant Indeed found that as of 1 October 2021, the share of searches being made for seasonal roles by jobseekers was down 27% compared with 2019 and 33% below its 2018 level. The figures chime with the overall trends revealed by the Office for National Statistics earlier this week. According to the ONS's latest labour force survey the number of job vacancies in July to September 2021 was a record high of 1,102,000, an increase of 318,000 from its pre-pandemic (January to March 2020) level. This was the second consecutive month that the three-month average has risen over one million. Indeed found that candidate interest in Christmas jobs was up 11% on the numbers seen in October 2020, but last year’s figure was kept exceptionally low by a second wave of the pandemic that forced the closure of much of the economy. This year’s surge in seasonal vacancies, which typically peaks in October and November, has come later than usual too. Face-to-face workers such as sales assistants and food servers account for 45% of the seasonal vacancies, said Indeed, whereas last year warehouse staff and drivers made up a higher proportion of vacancies. The figures indicate that retailers and hospitality firms are facing a double whammy of logistics and delivery problems coupled with a lack of seasonal staff.
