More jobseekers than ever are now hunting for seasonal work, with searches for Christmas retail jobs reaching their highest level in at least nine years, according to new data from the matching and hiring site Indeed.

As of early October, searches on its site for Christmas positions accounted for 0.8% of all UK job searches, up 28% on the same time last year and the highest share seen since comparable data began in 2018.

It says the surge in interest “suggests that cost-of-living pressures and a softer jobs market are prompting more people to seek temporary work over the festive period”.

However, it also notes that despite the surge in jobseeker interest, “seasonal job opportunities are not quite so abundant, meaning demand for festive roles is outpacing supply”.

Meanwhile, employers are stepping up recruitment for the seasonal rush. Holiday job postings represented 0.6% of all UK vacancies on Indeed as of early October – 16% higher than a year ago – “indicating healthy hiring activity ahead of the Christmas peak”. While slightly below pre-pandemic levels, the current pace reflects strong business confidence in a busy trading season, it added.

Understandably, retailers continue to dominate the seasonal jobs market, with high-street brands, supermarkets and logistics firms featuring prominently among the top employers. The most common seasonal roles include sales assistants, merchandisers and retail advisors.

Within the top-10 retail list-toppers are Tesco, Boots, Dunelm, The Perfume Shop, Pandora Jewellery, H Samuel and The White Company.

Jack Kennedy, senior economist at Indeed, said: “Christmas hiring is off to a strong start this year, but the gap between people looking for work and the number of roles available is widening. For many, seasonal jobs are becoming a way to bridge the gap between longer-term opportunities, particularly as the wider jobs market remains subdued.”