Holiday hiring expected to increase

Published September 24, 2013 by Jessica Sabbath

Sixty-nine percent of hiring managers say they plan to hire seasonal holiday workers this year, according to a survey commissioned by Snagajob.

That is up from 63 percent last year.

Hiring managers, including those not expected to hire additional help this year, are expected to hire 7.8 seasonal workers each, up from 6.1 seasonal workers last year.

“While there have been lackluster gains in the overall job market recently, hourly employers will still have a strong need for seasonal employees,” Megan Overton, spokesperson for Snagajob, said in a statement. “There has been strength in hiring for retail, restaurants and other customer-service industries, and, according to our Snagajob survey, hiring managers need to staff up to holiday levels, even more so than they did last year.”

Applicants should also consider applying early.  Among survey respondents who expect to hire seasonal help, 52 percent expect to begin hiring in September. Thirty-one percent of hiring managers plan to begin hiring in October.

The average pay for a seasonal job is expected to be $10.80 per hour, up 10 cents from last year.

Ipsos Public Affairs, a third-party research firm, polled 1,063 American adults responsible for hiring hourly, seasonal employees.

Snagajob, based in Richmond, is an hourly employment online marketplace for job seekers and employers.