705,000 open retail roles. 40% fewer seasonal hires planned.
Holiday sales crossed $1T. Holiday hire plans hit a 15-year low. Same shelves to stock, fewer bodies to stock them, same 8-week window.
Candidates take the first text back. You reply by email Tuesday.
They applied to 10 postings Monday morning and accepted whichever texted within an hour. Your ATS emails them Tuesday. The shift is already gone.
Burning your permanent staff buys you 12 months, then compounds.
Walmart and Target closed the 2025 gap by adding hours to permanent workers. The hole reopens in 12-18 months, bigger, with the people who carried peak quitting first. Nobody hires out of that at 40 days per req.
Pay your way: flat-rate unlimited applicant screens or
flexible pay-as-you-go