Retail seasonal hiring drops, Walmart workers may see more hours

Retailers slowed their seasonal hiring plans as the holiday shopping season approached, according to a Reuters story based on Indeed Hiring Lab data published on November 12, 2025. The report showed a roughly 16 percent decline in U.S. job postings for retail hospitality and food services in October 2025 versus the same month a year earlier. That drop represents the weakest demand for holiday talent since the post pandemic surge that accompanied staffing challenges earlier in the decade.

The Reuters piece noted that several major chains, including Walmart and Target, had not issued broad seasonal hiring announcements at the time of the report, a clear departure from typical hiring patterns. Amazon stands out as an exception, proceeding with a large seasonal hiring plan while industry groups such as the National Retail Federation and other data providers forecast an overall smaller seasonal hiring footprint in 2025 compared with 2024.

Analysts point to a combination of cost pressures and uncertainty that likely contributed to the pullback. Tariffs and higher input costs have squeezed margins at many retailers, consumer sentiment measures from the University of Michigan have weakened, and lingering macro uncertainty including a recent long federal shutdown has made firms more cautious about adding temporary payroll. Taken together these factors have reduced the incentive to stage large temporary hiring drives that were common in prior years.

For Walmart employees in our community the operational choices retailers make this season will have direct consequences. Companies can reallocate hours to current associates rather than bringing on large numbers of seasonal workers, or hire fewer temporary staff overall. Either approach redistributes peak season work onto the existing workforce, which can raise overtime pay and shift scheduling patterns. That can mean longer shifts for some associates, fewer flexible part time hours for others, and concentrated workloads during holiday peak times. For shoppers the mix can translate into faster depletion of staff on the sales floor, longer checkout lines during busy evenings and weekends, and variability in service quality across stores.

From a market perspective a smaller seasonal hiring footprint signals caution about consumer spending even as retailers compete for holiday sales. Reduced temporary hiring can lower short term payroll costs, but it may also depress in store capacity to serve customers and affect discretionary spending patterns. On the policy front the combination of tariffs and federal budget disruption illustrates how broad economic decisions can filter down to local labor markets and municipal sales tax receipts.

Longer term, the trend could accelerate shifts in how large retailers balance staffing with technology and scheduling flexibility. Many firms have already invested in workforce management tools and automation to smooth peak demand. For local workers and residents the 2025 seasonal hiring pullback is a reminder that broader economic policy and global cost pressures can shape holiday work, pay and the customer experience at neighborhood stores.