With Christmas arriving in a matter of weeks, Adzuna reveals that over 4,200 seasonal jobs are yet to be filled as employers struggle to recruit temporary staff to cope with the festive rush. The website has seen a huge spike in demand for temporary workers in sales, hospitality, retail and customer service, with clear indications that employers are willing to pay 4% more than average for seasonal staff.
The Royal Mail & Sainsbury’s top the list of Christmas employers once again this year, recruiting over 30,000 Christmas workers this winter between them (10% up on last year). High Street chains like Nando’s and PizzaExpress appear to be struggling to recruit enough staff this December with hundreds of vacancies still are advertised between them.
Jobseekers should look to the Hospitality industry for remaining Christmas work. There are over 640 chef, waiter & bar staff vacancies still open around Britain. Retail and Sales job sectors are also rich with vacancies this season, particularly in the North East, and are offering applicants a healthy pay packet of up to £126 per day.
The best-paid seasonal jobs this year are GP Locums and Event Managers receiving an eye-watering £1,500 per day. At the other end of the spectrum, the worst paid jobs are Santa’s helpers and Gift Wrapper jobs. Those looking for weird and wonderful jobs this Christmas should consider roles as Christmas Tree Designers or even Mince Pie Chefs.
Andrew Hunter, Co-Founder of Adzuna, commented, “Christmas, this year, will see the temporary and part-time employment market booming as businesses recruit extra staff to cope with the festive rush. Seasonal roles give candidates hard-to-find work experience which can lead to permanent job opportunities in the New Year – this is particularly important given the state of youth unemployment in Britain today.”
Top Christmas Jobs by Sector:
|
Job Sector |
Average Salary |
Number of Christmas Jobs |
|
Sales Jobs |
£126 per day |
645 |
|
Hospitality & Catering Jobs |
£76 per day |
640 |
|
Retail Jobs |
£104 per day |
382 |
|
Customer Service Jobs |
£57 per day |
325 |
|
Logistics & Warehouse |
£51 per day |
285 |
Overall Top 10 Christmas Employers*
| Company | Total Number of Xmas Jobs | |
| 1 | The Royal Mail | 18,000 |
| 2 | Sainsburys | 15,000 |
| 3 | Argos | 12,000 |
| 4 | Tesco | 10,000 |
| 5 | Boots | 7,000 |
| 6 | Asda | 7,000 |
| 7 | Debenhams | 6,500 |
| 8 | Amazon | 3,000 |
| 9 | Toys ‘R’ Us | 2,500 |
| 10 | Poundland | 2,000 |
*Note that these numbers are the total number additional staff these companies have been hiring for this xmas.
This is not the total number of live vacancies at these companies.
Best Paying Xmas Jobs
| Job Title | Pay (per day) |
| GP Locum | £1,000-£1,500 |
| Event Manager | £600 + bonuses |
| Private Chef (Christmas Day) | £550 |
| Private Party Santa | up to £500 |
| Department Store Personal Shopper | £200+ |
Worst Paying Xmas Jobs
| Job Title | Pay |
| Turkey Pluckers | £6.19 per hour |
| Santa’s Helpers | £6.20 per hour |
| Christmas Party Workers | £6.20 per hour |
| Gift Wrappers | £7.00 per hour |
| Silver Service Staff | £7.50 per hour |
5 Oddest Christmas Jobs
| Job Title | Location | Pay |
| Lead Xmas Tree Designer | London | N/A |
| Christmas Party DJ | London | £15 per hour |
| Mince Pie Chef | South East London | £13 per hour |
| Reindeer Chef | Norway | Competitive Salary |
| Christmas Grotto Elf | Basingstoke, Hampshire | £7 per hour |
