Amazon plans 300,000 holiday hires as seasonal job market shifts

Amazon announced on October 20 that it intends to employ more than 300,000 workers for the upcoming peak shopping period. The company’s plan includes full-time, part-time, and seasonal positions. This target represents a 20% increase over the 250,000 jobs Amazon pledged for the 2025 holiday season.

UPS offered a contrasting outlook on October 7. The shipping firm stated it would hire 100,000 seasonal employees in 2026. That figure is down nearly 10% from the company’s 2025 holiday hiring target. These divergent announcements have led experts to describe the current seasonal hiring environment as sending mixed signals.

Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, noted that the sector does not appear poised for the explosive growth seen in 2021 and 2022. He told CNBC Make It that Amazon’s announcement provides reason to be slightly more positive than previously expected. However, he observed that UPS is down slightly and that exporting goods has also declined.

Data from Indeed Hiring Lab indicates that seasonal job postings as of September 30, 2026, have surpassed levels from the same period in 2025. The report, released on October 15, finds that seasonal hiring measured by job postings is up 10% from 2025. Laura Ullrich, Indeed’s director of economic research, explained that the data captures a large percentage of jobs, including those from companies that did not pay Indeed to list their openings.

The composition of seasonal work has changed as e-commerce reshapes holiday shopping. Retail jobs accounted for about 66% of all seasonal roles in 2019. As of September 30, 2026, retail adds 61% of all seasonal work opportunities. Meanwhile, loading and stocking roles have grown from 3.5% of seasonal hiring posts in 2019 to 9% of all holiday job listings in 2026.

Indeed identifies the warehouse category as the fastest-growing sector among retail, sales, customer service, transportation, and food preparation. The five most in-demand non-retail titles include customer service representative, unloader, delivery driver, photographer, and stocker. Statista Research Department data shows that 87% of Americans now shop online. Experts forecast e-commerce retail sales growth of 6% annually through 2030.

Bain & Company projects U.S. holiday retail sales will reach $1 trillion in 2026. Challenger noted that this milestone does not automatically translate to higher sales, revenue, or profit for individual retailers. Instead, he suggests that inflation has not fully dampened consumer expectations for participating in holiday shopping. High costs for necessities like food and gas are altering spending habits, but participation remains strong.

Retailers are adjusting their staffing strategies in response to these market conditions. Ullrich stated that retailers are posting more permanent part-time jobs in place of traditional seasonal roles. Non-seasonal part-time positions made up 38% of retail jobs in September 2025. By September 2026, these roles account for 49% of the holiday retail job market. Seasonal roles now represent just 20% of retailers’ overall holiday job posts, a decline from the same period in 2025.

Individual companies are adopting different approaches to meet demand. Spirit Halloween announced on June 11 that it would hire 52,000 employees. Michaels plans to onboard over 10,000 workers for the holidays. Target stated on its website that it would rely on its existing workforce before seeking seasonal hires. The company did not announce specific headcounts. Ullrich views the trend toward permanent employees as a positive sign that retailers recognize the need for a larger permanent base.

Job seekers are also responding to the shifting market. Desktop searches for seasonal and holiday terms on Indeed are up 28% in 2026 compared to 2025. An Indeed report from June 9 found that 16% of active job seekers already hold multiple jobs. Workers in service roles, which often feature high turnover and inconsistent scheduling, are the most likely to hold another job. Food preparation workers make up the largest share of this group at 17%.