The National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasts US November–December retail sales will rise 4.2% from last year to $1.013 trillion, but retailers plan to hire 325,000 to 375,000 seasonal workers, roughly in line with last year's estimated 356,000. The NRF says higher prices account for about half of the expected sales growth, and attributes cautious hiring to persistent inflation, higher gasoline prices, elevated consumer debt and interest rates. Challenger, Gray & Christmas projected 450,000 retail jobs in the fourth quarter, below 461,500 a year earlier, citing reliance on existing staff, automation and flexible staffing. Indeed reported seasonal postings about 10% higher on September 30 than a year earlier, while among large employers the share labeled seasonal fell from 34% to about 20% and part-time postings rose from 38% to 49%. Amazon plans to hire 300,000 seasonal workers, up from 250,000 in each of the previous three years.
Summary written by Upside AI from the original article. Read the source for full details.
Original headline: Holiday Sales Forecast to Rise as Retailers Keep Seasonal Hiring Near Last Year Level .
Read the original on ibtimes.com ↗
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SPY
• NeutralSPDR S&P 500 ETF
Relevance: low
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | ETF |
| Close on 10/19/2026 | 766.48 |
| Change that session | +0.42% |
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On October 15, the NRF forecast that US holiday retail sales in November and December would rise 4.2% year on year to $1.013 trillion, the first time they would top $1 trillion, after 3.1% growth to $972 billion in 2025, though it gives no separate jewelry projection. A September McKinsey survey of 4,013 consumers found 43% expected to spend less on jewelry over the next three months. Mastercard projects 5.5% growth from November 1 to December 24, excluding gasoline and autos, and notes that over 35% of in-store spending on jewelry, handbags, department stores and cosmetics in the 2025 season occurred in the final week before Christmas. The NRF cites persistent inflation, higher gasoline prices, high interest rates and household debt, and expects 325,000 to 375,000 seasonal hires, versus about 356,000 last year. The article suggests jewelry retailers may have to compete harder for discretionary spending.
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