Does The Seasonal Job Market Look Different In 2026?

Does The Seasonal Job Market Look Different in 2026?

If you’re looking to boost your income with a seasonal job, whether it’s as a Santa impersonator or a seasonal cashier, the landscape in 2026 presents unique challenges and opportunities.

As we move further away from the pandemic, the seasonal job market has evolved. With a significant shift towards online shopping and hybrid work environments, traditional roles are being redefined, and many seasonal positions are adapting to new consumer behaviors and workplace dynamics.

For those who previously thrived in bustling retail environments or festive gatherings, what does this mean for your job prospects this season?

To gain insights into the current state of the seasonal job market, we analyzed millions of job listings from various sectors.

Below, you can find our comprehensive findings and methodology:

Most Common Seasonal Jobs

We identified over 1,519,011 seasonal job listings. An impressive 584,914—39% of those—were openings for just ten roles. Despite the ongoing changes, the majority of these positions remain centered in retail and other traditional seasonal sectors.

Here’s the list of the top 10 most common seasonal jobs:

Jobs With The Highest Number Of Seasonal Openings

Interestingly, while the most common roles align with expectations, many of these positions offer substantial long-term career pathways alongside seasonal opportunities.

We also investigated which jobs have the highest percentage of seasonal listings compared to all job postings.

The results reveal that some roles have a disproportionately high number of seasonal opportunities relative to total job listings.

Seasonal Jobs With The Highest Percentage Of Seasonal Job Postings

How We Determined This

We identified over 1,519,011 seasonal job postings by scraping data from over 46 million total job listings. Any job that included the term “seasonal” was classified accordingly.

From there, we calculated the total number of seasonal jobs per job title against all job listings.

The higher the volume of seasonal job postings for a given title, the more common that job is considered.

What This Means For Workers

Ultimately, the bulk of seasonal jobs continues to reside within the dominant retail sector.

However, many retail positions are now offering as many, if not more, permanent roles compared to seasonal listings. For those seeking employment, this presents a promising opportunity to secure a job that extends beyond the seasonal period.

That said, many of these positions, with a few exceptions like CPAs, tend to pay less than the national average income.

Middle-class workers may find these roles challenging in terms of meeting their financial obligations.

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Kathy Morris

Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.

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