Marketplace Morning Report Why are retailers hiring fewer seasonal workers?
Nov 19, 2025
Nancy Marshall-Genzer, a Marketplace reporter covering NVIDIA and the AI surge, and Savannah Peters, a retail industry specialist, dive into why retailers are hiring fewer seasonal workers this year. They highlight uncertainty due to tariffs and declining consumer sentiment, leading to cautious hiring practices. Savannah shares insights on the NRF's prediction of the lowest temporary holiday hires in 15 years, revealing the impact on workers, especially the oldest and youngest, as retailers turn to automation and shifts for staff coverage.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Holiday Hiring Cut By Uncertainty
- Retailers are delaying seasonal hiring because of uncertainty from tariffs, weak consumer confidence, and missing government labor data.
- The NRF now expects the fewest holiday temporary hires in 15 years as firms wait to see demand and costs.
Low Hiring Despite High Sales Forecast
- The National Retail Federation projects retailers will hire under 365,000 temporary workers this November and December.
- That figure is the lowest in 15 years even as NRF predicts holiday sales above $1 trillion, suggesting sales growth could be inflation-driven.
Sales Growth May Be Price-Driven
- Forrester's Sucharita Kodali warns that projected sales growth may reflect higher prices, not more shoppers.
- Retailers could make more revenue without increased traffic, masking real consumer demand.