As if donning an itchy red suit and entertaining kids all day wasn’t hard enough, the nation’s professional Santa Claus faces another joy-inducing challenge this holiday season: getting a job.
Job listings for Store Santas are down 35% this year, compared to 2024, according to Revelio Labs. In fact, the workforce research firm found that the number of job vacancies in malls, department stores and other outlets has fallen sharply since 2022.
The reasons: Employers are cutting budgets, more malls are closing their doors, and many parents these days are choosing to avoid crowds — and the experience of placing an unsuspecting toddler on Santa’s lap in a store — in favor of online shopping.
The decline in Santa job postings comes across the board Soft hiring in the holiday season This year is as retailers look to contain costs. Unemployment rate in the country It rose to 4.6% in November, The highest in more than four years.
The news isn’t all bad for Santa wannabes. Although fewer places are hiring, wages are improving — the average hourly wage for Santa jobs is now $25, up from $21.89 in 2022, Revelio found.
Again, employers only want the most qualified candidates. Nearly 70% of store listings for Santas this year call for a real beard, according to the company, compared to just 14% three years ago.
“Economists call this the composition effect: the average salary changes, not because the actual wage rises, but because of who stays in the employment group,” Revelio said. “Since employers require real beards for most jobs, they only hire from the highest-paid class. Average wages are rising, but it’s not a story of rising wages. It’s a story of a shrinking labor market dressed up as good news.”
And have a good night!