📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

Holiday Hiring By the Numbers (Infographic) Check out these mind-blowing stats on seasonal employment and holiday spending.

By Carly Okyle

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

We all know that in order to keep up with high demand during the holiday season, many companies hire more employees. This makes sense when you consider that about 20 percent of all retail sales are generated during the holiday season and that nearly all Americans celebrate a winter holiday. Still, the statistics on holiday hiring could surprise even seasoned veterans of the retail industry.

While holiday hires account for half of all new hires in the fourth quarter, their distribution is uneven; more new employees can be found at hobby, toy and game stores than anywhere else. At the same time, big-name department store retailers such as JC Penney, Macy's, Wal-Mart, Kohls and Target are collectively responsible for an estimated 300,000 hires, in some cases, increasing their staff by almost half. Meanwhile, the U.S. Postal Service hires fewer workers than both FedEx and UPS despite delivering more packages than those two companies combined.

While you have visions of dollar signs dancing in your head, read on to see other figures in the infographic below, courtesy of human-resource firm Addeco.

Click to Enlarge+
Holiday Hiring By the Numbers (Infographic)

Related: Tips for Running an Awesome Holiday Marketing Campaign (Infographic)

Carly Okyle

Assistant Editor, Contributed Content

Carly Okyle is an assistant editor for contributed content at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

Want to Start a Simple Business That Helps the Planet? After 'One Night's Worth of Research,' He Started an Eco-Friendly Gig And Now Makes $200K a Year

Environmentally-conscious laws are picking up steam across the country. When one went into effect in Zach Cavacas's home state, he saw a lucrative business opportunity. Chances are, a similar law is coming to your state, or is already there.

Leadership

Joining Boards Early in Your Career Can Change Your Trajectory for the Better — Here's How to Harness Their Power.

Sitting on boards of corporations, educational institutions and community organizations can help entrepreneurs build their networks, expand their skill sets and share their professional expertise — just like it did for me. Here are a few factors to consider before joining a new board.

Business Solutions

Elevate Your Mac's Productivity with This $30 License

MacPilot uses the power of UNIX to unlock hidden features in your Mac computer.

Science & Technology

4 Mistakes Not to Make When Choosing A Software Development Company

How do you choose a software development company?

Business News

These Are the Top 15 Jobs With the Highest Entry-Level Pay

Seven engineering positions made the list.