WSJ What’s News Holiday Jobs Are Harder to Come By This Year
15 snips
Nov 11, 2025 
Justin Lahart, an economics reporter at The Wall Street Journal, discusses the challenges in this year's holiday job market, as major companies scale back seasonal hiring due to economic uncertainties. He highlights the struggle for low-income and young workers who rely on these jobs. Richard Rubin, a tax policy reporter, explains the implications of the corporate alternative minimum tax, revealing how it affects large companies seeking to benefit from recent tax breaks. Together, they navigate the complexities shaping the economy this holiday season.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Shutdowns Mostly Cause Short-Term Drag
- The shutdown mostly shifts activity in time rather than creating long-term damage to growth.
- Justin Lahart says most lost spending during a shutdown is made up later via back pay and delayed purchases.
Quantifying The Economic Hit Is Difficult
- Measuring the shutdown's impact is hard because spending, savings, benefits disruptions, and travel worries all interact.
- Justin Lahart notes disentangling these effects amid existing economic uncertainty complicates GDP estimates.
Holiday Hiring Pulled Back This Year
- Companies are trimming holiday seasonal hiring tied to weak consumer spending and squeezed real wages.
- Justin Lahart highlights major employers declining to commit to their usual seasonal headcount this year.