1 in 5 Americans Plans On Finding A Second Job For The Holidays
With December's holidays right around the corner, many Americans' minds are on shopping. A new poll finds, however, that a significant number of them will be taking on second jobs to help with holiday purchases because of the tough economy.
More than a fifth of adults -- 21 percent -- said they plan to get a second job to help with holiday spending this year, according to an online survey by Harris Interactive. Twelve percent of respondents said they already had secondary employment.
Additional findings of the survey of nearly 2,500 adults showed that 45 percent of them will have difficulty affording gifts this year. Two-thirds of respondents said they will have more difficulty affording any expense related to the holidays this year, compared to last year.
Despite the need for additional employment and the welcome income it provides, many job seekers may find it difficult to land a seasonal job since many retailers are maintaining hiring at last year's levels. Some of the largest retailers, such as Toys R Us and Best Buy, are scaling back their hiring plans for the holiday season.
In announcing its annual forecast for holiday hiring, employment-services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas last month said that most retailers have little incentive to add more workers than they did a year ago.
"Many are dealing with higher costs related to rent, energy and wholesale prices," said Challenger CEO John Challenger in a statement. "These are increased costs that they are loath to pass along to consumers, so it simply does not make sense to hire more workers that will eat into the already-shrinking profit margins."
It isn't merely higher costs that are keeping employers' seasonal hiring plans in check, notes the Los Angeles Times. As consumers increasingly turn online to make purchases, there's less need for staff in stores.
So while the demand for second jobs appears to be on the rise, many job seekers this holiday season will find there's little to cheer about on the employment front.
Hiring For The Holidays
Next: Retailers Hiring The Most Workers This Holiday Season
Stories from CNNMoney
- Job Hunting Tips From Zappos Hiring Manager
- UAW Ratifies Deal With Ford
- Occupy Wall Street's Pizza Connection
David Schepp
David Schepp has spent more than a dozen years covering business news for the electronic and print media, including Dow Jones Newswires, BBC News, Gannett Co., and most recently at AOL's DailyFinance. Nearly 10 years ago, he started writing a weekly People@Work column, looking in depth at issues facing workers in today's workplace. Follow David on Twitter. Email David at david.schepp@huffingtonpost.com. Add David to your Google+ circles.
more...
36 Comments