Key points:

  • At the end of August, 1.8% of Australian job postings mentioned Christmas in the job title, up from 1.0% at the same time last year. 
  • Jobseeker interest in Christmas jobs has outpaced recent years, possibly reflecting higher unemployment and Australia’s ongoing cost-of-living crisis. 
  • At the end of August, 1.4% of jobseeker searches were for Christmas-related jobs, up from 1.3% last year. 

While it’s still early, Christmas hiring is off to a strong start, with Christmas-related job postings tracking ahead of the past three years. That’s good news for jobseekers looking for seasonal work, though offset by increased competition for these roles. Jobseekers are searching earlier and more often for these jobs than we’ve ever seen before. 

Demand for Christmas workers is often determined by the number of products you expect to sell and the number of customers you need to service. Both increase sharply throughout November and December, prompting retailers to temporarily increase their staff. But the search for talent always begins much earlier. 

Strong Christmas hiring is a sign that employers are feeling optimistic leading into the most lucrative time of the year for many Australian businesses. And they have good reason to be: household spending has increased 5.5% over the past year, and, even accounting for rising prices, purchases are up 2.4%.

In many respects, retail conditions leading into Christmas this year are brighter than we’ve seen for several years. So far, Christmas hiring trends are following suit.

Christmas recruitment started early this year

Christmas-related hiring started earlier this year. Postings rose sharply through early August, stabilised briefly, and have since surged higher, remaining a little stronger than we typically see at this time of year. 

At the end of August, job postings featuring keywords such as ‘Christmas’ or ‘Xmas’ in their job titles accounted for 1.8% of all Australian job postings on Indeed. That tracks well ahead of last year (1.0%) – when Christmas hiring started uncharacteristically slowly – but is also outpacing 2023 (1.6%) and 2024 (1.6%). 

Last year, Christmas hiring peaked in early October before declining sharply throughout November and December. 

Line graph titled “Australian Christmas job postings.” Indeed’s data show that Christmas-related job postings appeared earlier this year and throughout August have outpaced hiring in previous years. 
Line graph titled “Australian Christmas job postings.” Indeed’s data show that Christmas-related job postings appeared earlier this year and throughout August have outpaced hiring in previous years. 

Jobseekers are active earlier this year

Searches for Christmas work typically peak later than job postings, often towards the end of November (compared to October for job postings). This year, search activity began much earlier than normal, but by the end of August, searches had converged with last year’s trend. 

Around 1.4% of searches on Indeed were for Christmas jobs at the end of August, up from 1.3% last year and 1.0% back in 2023. 

Line graph titled “Australian Christmas job searches.” Indeed’s data show that Christmas-related searches are tracking slightly above last year's level, but began rising much earlier than they traditionally have.   
Line graph titled “Australian Christmas job searches.” Indeed’s data show that Christmas-related searches are tracking slightly above last year’s level, but began rising much earlier than they traditionally have.   

Search volumes might be higher and earlier than usual due to Australia’s ongoing cost-of-living crisis, coupled with the unemployment rate increasing to a post-pandemic high. Christmas jobs are rarely permanent, but they can provide a crucial cash injection for households during one of the most expensive times of the year. 

And if that’s the case, then the typical jobseeker for these Christmas jobs may also have changed – still plenty of students, but also a lot of adults with tight household budgets.

Who is hiring this year?

Christmas job opportunities are always heavily concentrated in retail, but increased spending can also boost hiring across other parts of the economy. A day of Christmas shopping isn’t possible without meals, snacks and refreshments, creating food service roles. School holidays create jobs at holiday camps and other activities, while increased holiday travel supports hiring in hospitality and tourism. 

And don’t forget that all those toys, clothes and other gifts don’t magically appear on shelves. They first need to move from warehouses to stores or even directly to people’s homes, creating seasonal opportunities in transport and logistics. 

Table titled “Retail dominates AU Christmas opportunities.” This table lists the top 10 recruiters for Christmas jobs since the beginning of August 2026. Kmart, Prouds and Australia Post were the top 3.
Table titled “Retail dominates AU Christmas opportunities.” This table lists the top 10 recruiters for Christmas jobs since the beginning of August 2026. Kmart, Prouds and Australia Post were the top 3.

Conclusion

Australia’s Christmas hiring season is off to a strong start. Job posting volumes are outpacing last year through to the end of August, while jobseekers are more active than ever. Employers are likely to receive plenty of applicants, while jobseekers searching early might be able to lock in that Christmas gig before most jobseekers realise they are available.

Methodology

We define Christmas job postings as those with one or more holiday-themed terms in the job title, including, but not limited to, ‘Christmas,’ ‘Xmas’ and ‘holiday.’ Seasonal job searches are defined as those containing one or more of the same list of holiday-related terms.