Holiday Jobs 2026: Who's Hiring and How to Apply

Quick answer: Holiday jobs 2026 are open, but fewer employers have announced numbers than usual. As of October 3, 2026, Spirit Halloween (52,000 roles) and Michaels (10,000+ roles) have published targets, and Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's hold walk-in interviews on October 7 and 8. Amazon, Target, Kohl's, UPS and FedEx have not yet released 2026 figures.

Key takeaways

Only a handful of retailers had published 2026 seasonal hiring targets by early October, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Challenger forecasts about 450,000 seasonal retail jobs in the fourth quarter of 2026, slightly below the 461,500 added in late 2025.
Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's will interview walk-in candidates at all U.S. and Canadian stores on October 7 and 8, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Michaels says nearly half of its seasonal in-store hires were moved into regular roles after last year's holidays.
Apply only through an employer's own careers site or store; real retailers never charge you to apply or train.

Which companies are hiring for holiday jobs 2026 right now?

Holiday jobs 2026 are being posted now, and three retail names have made concrete announcements so far: Spirit Halloween, Michaels and Bass Pro Shops with Cabela's. Kohl's is also advertising seasonal store and distribution roles, although it has not given a headcount.

The short list is the story this year. Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the outplacement firm that tracks layoff and hiring announcements, said on October 1 that Spirit Halloween and Michaels were the only retailers to publish seasonal hiring plans by the end of September, for a combined 62,000 hires. In September 2025 alone, seasonal employers had announced 100,800 hires.

Spirit Halloween: More than 52,000 seasonal associates for 1,575 U.S. and Canadian stores. Key date: Halloween season. Apply: Spirit Halloween careers site.
Michaels: More than 10,000 seasonal Team Members in the U.S. and Canada. Key date: National Hiring Day was held September 12. Apply: Careers.Michaels.com.
Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's: Seasonal, full-time and part-time Outfitter roles (no total given). Key date: National Hiring Event, October 7 and 8, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.. Apply: basspro.com/careers or in store.
Kohl's: Seasonal store and distribution associates (no total given). Key date: Roles being added, "more jobs coming soon". Apply: careers.kohls.com/seasonal.

What do these employers say they offer?

Michaels: competitive wages, flexible hours and a 30% employee discount, plus extra holiday hours for current staff.
Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's: merchandise discounts of up to 50%, holiday and vacation pay, and health, dental and life insurance for eligible team members. Most positions require candidates to be at least 18.
Kohl's: flexible schedules, weekly pay and a 15% associate discount for retail sales associates and material handlers.
Spirit Halloween: sales associate applicants must be at least 16, so the chain is an option for many high school students.

Why is holiday hiring 2026 so quiet?

Retailers are holding back on big public hiring targets and leaning on their existing workers instead. Challenger expects seasonal retail hiring to slip to about 450,000 jobs in the October-to-December quarter.

That forecast follows a weak 2025 season. Challenger's analysis of unadjusted Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) figures shows stores took on 461,500 workers between October and December 2025. No holiday quarter since 2008 was weaker, and the total ran about 15% below the 543,100 jobs added in the 2024 holiday quarter. Andy Challenger, the firm's workplace expert, pointed to high prices, tariffs moving through supply chains, automation and on-demand staffing pools as reasons stores are hiring "surgically" rather than in large waves.

Shoppers have not pulled back yet. August retail sales rose 1.2%, and BLS preliminary data shows retail employed 15.47 million people in August 2026, about 63,000 more than a year earlier. With spending steady but hiring announcements cautious, applying early is the safer strategy for job seekers.

When will Amazon, Target and UPS announce seasonal jobs 2026?

None of them had released 2026 numbers as of early October, but past timing gives job seekers a rough calendar. Challenger notes that Amazon usually announces in mid-October and has hired 250,000 seasonal workers in each of the last three years.

Amazon: typically mid-October; 250,000 seasonal hires in each of the past three years.
Target: has held its target at 100,000 hires for several years; no 2026 figure yet.
Kohl's: hired roughly 90,000 a year for most of the past decade; now posting roles without a total.
Bath & Body Works: committed to more than 30,000 associates in each of the past three seasons and normally announces in early September, but had not done so this year.
UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service: no 2026 headcount targets released yet.

Treat these past numbers as history, not promises. A company that skips an announcement may still hire, but it may also rely more on current staff working extra hours.

Are warehouse and delivery seasonal jobs still available?

Yes, but the shipping-season spike is smaller than it used to be. Transportation and warehousing employers added 266,500 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2025, down 12% from 2024 and the lowest total since 2018, according to Challenger.

The firm expects a similar total in 2026 as logistics companies rely more on robotics, automation, flexible scheduling and year-round staff. For job seekers, that means warehouse openings may be posted in smaller batches and filled quickly, so it pays to set up job alerts with the employers you want instead of waiting for a headline number.

How do you get a seasonal job this year?

The best way to land holiday jobs 2026 is to apply early, apply directly with the employer and show up to in-person hiring events where you can interview on the spot. With fewer announced openings, speed and availability matter more than in a typical year.

Pick three to five target employers near you and check their official careers pages for seasonal postings.
Apply online before a hiring event, then attend in person. Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's, for example, invite candidates to apply in advance and then interview at the store on October 7 or 8.
Lead with your availability. Make it clear which evenings, weekends and holiday-week shifts you can cover.
Ask about staying on. Michaels says nearly 50% of last year's seasonal in-store roles became regular positions, so say you are open to a longer stay.
Join talent alerts. Kohl's, for example, invites applicants to join its Talent Network for seasonal job updates.

What mistakes should seasonal job seekers avoid?

The most common mistake is waiting for a big announcement. Several large retailers have stopped publishing early targets, so their roles may appear on careers sites with no press release at all. Another is giving vague availability; state the exact shifts you can work.

How can you spot holiday job scams?

Genuine employers never charge you to apply, train, buy equipment or pass a background check. Check every offer against the company's own careers page before you share personal details.

Be wary of anyone who interviews or hires you only by text message, Telegram or another chat app.
Never deposit a check a "recruiter" sends you to buy equipment or supplies and then wire back the difference.
Apply only through the official careers site, in store or at an announced hiring event.

What this means for you

Holiday jobs 2026 are out there, but they are less visible than in past years. If you want seasonal income, start now with the employers that have confirmed plans, mark October 7 and 8 for the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's event, and keep checking Amazon, Target and UPS careers pages through mid-October. Application closing dates have not been published, so check each posting and apply as soon as you see a role you want.

Last updated: October 3, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Who is hiring for the holidays in 2026?

As of October 3, 2026, Spirit Halloween plans to hire more than 52,000 seasonal associates and Michaels more than 10,000 seasonal Team Members. Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's are holding a National Hiring Event on October 7 and 8, and Kohl's is posting seasonal store and distribution roles.

Has Amazon announced seasonal hiring for 2026?

Not yet. Amazon had not released a 2026 figure by early October. Challenger, Gray & Christmas notes that Amazon usually announces in mid-October and hired 250,000 seasonal workers in each of the past three years.

How many seasonal jobs will retailers add in 2026?

Challenger, Gray & Christmas forecasts about 450,000 seasonal retail jobs in the fourth quarter of 2026. That would be slightly below the 461,500 retail jobs added in late 2025, which was the weakest season since 2008.

When is the Bass Pro Shops hiring event in 2026?

The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's National Hiring Event runs October 7 and 8, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at stores in the U.S. and Canada. Walk-ins are welcome, but the company encourages applying in advance at basspro.com/careers.

Can seasonal holiday jobs turn into permanent jobs?

It can happen. Michaels says nearly 50% of its seasonal in-store positions converted to regular roles after last year's holidays. If you want a longer stay, tell your manager early.

How old do you have to be for a seasonal retail job?

It depends on the employer. Spirit Halloween accepts sales associate applicants from age 16, while Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's say candidates for most positions must be at least 18.

Sources

This article was compiled by the Jobsiz editorial team from the sources listed above, with AI-assisted writing and automated fact-checking.

Holiday Jobs 2026: Who's Hiring Seasonal Workers Now