Santas Struggle To Find Work As Retail Hiring Falls
Santa impersonators are struggling to find work this season as demand at malls and events drops amid a challenging labor market.
Job listings for store Santa Clauses were down by 35% as compared with 2024, according to Revelio Labs. The research firm found that postings at malls, stores, and other outlets have been “melting” since 2022.
“The numbers paint a grim picture,” the lab’s research reads. “Santa job postings have declined every year since 2022, according to Revelio Labs’ analysis of hiring data.”
Though wages for Santa impersonators have slightly increased, work is hard to find.
“The number of people reaching out to us [to hire Santas] is down compared with last year — and last year was down compared with the year before,” said Mitch Allen, the head of staffing agency Hire Santa. “That’s really due to the economy. People are still having Christmas celebrations, but they are not having as big of an event at their home or office. They might not have entertainers.”
The forces contributing to the lack of demand come primarily from the decline in in-person shopping. Malls are closing, and their patrons are choosing to purchase presents online.
The shift is indicative of broader squeezes in the labor market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported earlier this month that the unemployment rate has risen to a four-year high of 4.6%.
President Donald Trump boasted in response to the BLS report that the uptick in unemployment was attributable to the cuts that his administration has made to the federal workforce, declaring that “the only reason our Unemployment ticked up to 4.5% is because we are reducing the Government Workforce by numbers that have never been seen before.”
But while the president claimed that “100% OF OUR NEW JOBS ARE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR,” job openings have dropped 37% from their high point in 2022, and these stagnant hiring conditions are hitting the Santa market and the population writ large.
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