WASHINGTON — A tight labor market is making it harder this year for companies to find job applicants for the seasonal hiring they plan, and as a result, many are sweetening the pot to attract workers for those short-term jobs.
Arlington, Virginia-based hourly jobs site Snagajob said 77 percent of employers face challenges hiring seasonal workers this year, and it’s taking about 14 percent longer to fill those openings than it did last year.
In many cases, it may mean more work for existing employees, with 35 percent of businesses planning to offer their current workers more hours to cover open shifts.
Snagajob said 28 percent of companies in need of seasonal workers will offer health insurance benefits to them this year, and the vast majority — 91 percent across all industries — will pay seasonal employees more than the federal minimum wage this year.
“With most hourly job seekers able to secure a job in less than a week, it’s clearly a job seeker’s market, and employers must pay close attention to this group’s preferences if they want to staff up adequately for the holidays,” said Snagajob CEO Peter Harrison.
And what seasonal workers say they want are more hours, schedule flexibility and stability. Many businesses will offer more than 20 hours a week for seasonal work this year, up 5 percent from last year.
And for some who take seasonal work, they want a chance to turn that seasonal job into a permanent one.
Snagajob’s survey said 93 percent of businesses plan to retain seasonal workers after the holidays are over.
For its holiday hiring report, Snagajob surveyed more than 1,000 employers from the nation’s retail, restaurant and hospitality industries.
