Yes, holiday seasonal jobs still hiring November 2026 are out there right now — but the window is tighter than it used to be, and the best shifts tend to go to the people who apply first. Michaels, Macy's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Foot Locker, and Kohl's all still have seasonal openings posted as November begins, with hiring events, store roles, and warehouse roles on the table. If you want extra money before Christmas, this is the moment to pick an employer, get your application in, and show up ready to work evenings, weekends, and holiday weeks.
So why the rush? Because this is not a year when retailers are hiring just anyone who walks in at the last minute. According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, retailers added 461,500 seasonal jobs in late 2025, the fewest since 2008, and the firm forecasts roughly 450,000 this year as stores lean more on automation and their existing workers. That does not mean there is nothing left. It means the smart move is to treat the search like a real job hunt: apply early, be flexible on hours, and follow up. The employers below are a strong place to start, and the table further down this article puts them side by side so you can compare them at a glance.
Holiday seasonal jobs still hiring November 2026: the big picture
Let us be honest for a second. Holiday hiring sounds exciting — extra cash, a busy store, maybe a discount on gifts you were going to buy anyway — but it can also feel confusing. Who is actually hiring? Which jobs are already full? And is it even worth applying in November, when Black Friday is right around the corner?
Here is the good news: November is not too late. Many retailers run rolling hiring right up until positions are filled, and some hold big hiring events in November itself. Macy's, for example, has a nationwide hiring event scheduled for Thursday, November 19, 2026. That is a real date on the calendar, not a vague "coming soon." If you missed the October rush, that event alone gives you a second chance.
The other thing to understand is what "seasonal" really means in 2026. A seasonal job is usually a temporary role that runs through the holiday peak — think November through early January, though exact end dates vary by employer and store. Some people take these jobs purely for the paycheck. Others use them as a foot in the door. Michaels, for instance, says nearly half of last year's in-store seasonal roles became regular jobs. That is not a promise that you will be kept on — nobody can promise that — but it does show that seasonal work can turn into something longer if you do well and a regular opening exists.
Before we get into each employer, one practical note about pay and hours. Federal overtime rules say that covered workers earn time and a half for hours worked over 40 in a week. That matters during the holidays, because this is exactly when extra hours show up. Also, part of overtime pay may be deductible on taxes under current rules — that is general information only, not tax advice, and your own situation can differ, so check with a tax professional if you want a firm answer for yourself. The point is simple: holiday hours can add up fast, and it pays to understand how your schedule and your paycheck actually work.
What has changed about holiday hiring this year?
Two things stand out. First, the overall number of seasonal retail jobs is smaller than it was in the boom years. The Challenger, Gray & Christmas figures tell that story plainly: 461,500 seasonal retail jobs added in late 2025, the fewest since 2008, with roughly 450,000 forecast this year. Stores are leaning on automation and on workers they already have, which means fewer brand-new openings and more competition for the ones that exist.
Second, employers are hiring earlier and in waves. Some announcements came out in September. Some hiring events happened in October. And some, like Macy's November event, are still ahead. So if you are reading this in November, you are not at the very start of the season — but you are not at the end of it either. You are in the middle, where the remaining openings are real but the easy, everybody-gets-a-shift phase is over. That is why this article focuses on employers with confirmed, specific hiring news rather than vague "they usually hire" guesses.
A quick word on the employers not listed in detail
You may wonder about Target, UPS, FedEx, USPS, and Walmart. They are huge holiday employers in most years, and readers ask about them every single season. In the sources checked for this article, they had not announced specific 2026 seasonal hiring targets. That does not mean they are hiring nobody — it means we are not going to invent a number for them and present it as fact. If you want to work for one of them, check their careers pages directly for your area, because local openings can exist even without a national announcement. And one note on pay: Target's 2025 starting pay of $15 to $24 per hour was last year's figure. Do not treat it as a 2026 rate. Rates change, and they vary by role and location, so always confirm the current rate in the actual job posting before you apply.
Amazon deserves a quick mention too, but only a quick one, because it was covered separately in an earlier View Storys post. For the full picture on Amazon's holiday hiring, see our guide to the best-paying seasonal holiday jobs for 2026, which covers the Amazon announcement in detail. The rest of this article stays focused on Michaels, Macy's, Dick's, Foot Locker, and Kohl's.
Michaels: 10,000+ seasonal team members, plus a 30% discount
If you like crafts, decorating, or just a store that smells faintly of ribbon and pine in December, Michaels is one of the most interesting seasonal bets this year. The company announced on September 10, 2026, that it was hiring 10,000 or more seasonal team members across the United States and Canada. That is a big, specific number, and it covers store roles where you help customers find supplies, stock shelves, run the register, and keep the place looking like a holiday catalog instead of a warehouse after a storm.
The discount is a genuine perk worth weighing. Michaels offers a 30% employee discount. If you are already buying craft supplies, wreaths, ornaments, or gifts from Michaels, that discount can stretch your holiday budget in a way a slightly higher hourly rate somewhere else might not. Do the math for your own shopping list before you decide which employer wins on total value. Sometimes the discount matters more than a dollar an hour. Sometimes it does not. It depends on what you actually buy.
Then there is the conversion angle. Michaels says nearly half of last year's in-store seasonal roles became regular jobs. Again, that is last year's result, not a guarantee for you. But it is a useful signal about how the company treats seasonal workers: not just as extra hands for December, but as a hiring pipeline. If you want a shot at staying on, the usual advice applies — show up on time, be willing to learn every department, volunteer for the shifts nobody else wants, and let your manager know you are interested in staying. Managers remember the seasonal workers who made their December easier.
How do you apply? Go to Careers.Michaels.com and search for seasonal roles near you. Filter by your town or zip code, read the role carefully, and apply for the location you can actually get to on a snowy evening in December. That last part matters more than people admit. A job you cannot reach reliably is not a job at all.
Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Bluemercury: hiring events on October 22 and November 19
Macy's is taking a different approach this year: big, nationwide hiring events where you can walk in, interview on the spot, and in some cases leave with an offer. The company announced on September 24, 2026, that it was hiring for store and supply-chain roles across Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Bluemercury. Two nationwide hiring event dates were named: Thursday, October 22, 2026, and Thursday, November 19, 2026, both running from 11am to 6pm local time.
If you are reading this in November, the October date has passed — but the November 19 event has not. That is your window. Hiring events like this are built for speed. Stores hold on-the-spot interviews and can make offers at the store, which cuts out the long wait that sometimes follows an online application. If you prefer to apply online first, that option is available too. But if you can get to a store on November 19, do it. Dress like you already work there, bring identification and your availability in writing, and be ready to talk about which shifts you can actually cover.
What kinds of roles are we talking about? Store roles generally mean sales floor, fitting rooms, stock, and registers — the jobs that keep a department store running when foot traffic spikes. Supply-chain roles mean the behind-the-scenes work that gets products to stores and to customers' doors. If you like people and a fast pace, the store floor is probably your fit. If you prefer physical work and a steadier rhythm, supply-chain roles are worth a look. Either way, holiday availability is the key currency. Evenings, weekends, and the days around Thanksgiving and Christmas are when stores need people most.
One more practical tip for the hiring event: do not just show up cold. Check the online application beforehand if you can, so you know which roles are posted at your local store. Then walk in with a short, honest pitch about yourself: what you have done before, what hours you can work, and why you want the seasonal role. Hiring managers at these events talk to a lot of people in one day. Clear and specific beats long and vague every time.
Dick's Sporting Goods and Foot Locker: over 11,000 seasonal workers for the 2026 holidays
Sporting goods might not be the first thing you think of for holiday jobs, but the numbers here are hard to ignore. Dick's Sporting Goods and Foot Locker announced on October 15, 2026, that they expect to hire over 11,000 seasonal workers for the 2026 holidays — about 8,400 across Dick's banners and about 2,900 for Foot Locker North America. Hiring runs until positions are filled, which means openings can disappear store by store rather than all at once on a single deadline. If a location near you interests you, sooner really is better than later.
Dick's also held a National Signing Day on October 21, 2026, a coordinated hiring push that gave applicants a clear date to aim for. If you missed that day, do not assume you missed your chance entirely. "Until positions are filled" means exactly that: as long as a store still has an opening, it is still hiring. Check the careers pages for Dick's and Foot Locker, search your area, and apply for the specific store you can reach.
There is one calendar detail worth knowing if you are planning your holiday availability. All Dick's stores and US distribution centers close on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2026, and reopen on Black Friday, November 27. That is useful for two reasons. First, it tells you that Thanksgiving itself is a day off at Dick's, which is not true everywhere in retail. Second, it tells you that Black Friday is going to be intense — a closed store reopening for the biggest shopping day of the year means full staffing, early starts, and a very busy floor. If you take a Dick's seasonal role, expect Black Friday to be your biggest day, and plan your energy and your travel accordingly.
What will you actually do? In a sporting goods store, seasonal roles often involve the sales floor, footwear, apparel, stock, and registers, plus helping customers find gifts — everything from running shoes to camping gear to team apparel. If you play sports, follow them, or just enjoy talking gear with customers, that knowledge is a real advantage. Customers trust a salesperson who actually knows the difference between two pairs of trainers. And during the holidays, a lot of those customers are buying gifts for someone else, so patience and good questions matter even more than product trivia.
Kohl's: seasonal store and distribution openings, weekly pay, 15% discount
Kohl's rounds out this list with a quieter but still useful set of openings. For 2026, Kohl's has posted seasonal store and distribution openings, with a 15% associate discount and weekly pay. No total headcount was announced, so we are not going to invent one. What matters for you is not a national number anyway — it is whether your local store or nearby distribution center has an opening, and what the role actually involves.
Weekly pay is a perk that deserves more attention than it usually gets. A lot of seasonal workers take these jobs because they need money before the holidays, not after them. Getting paid every week instead of every two weeks means the money lands while you still need it — for gifts, for bills, for travel, for the million small costs that pile up in December. If cash flow timing matters to you, ask about the pay schedule during the application or interview, and factor it into your choice.
The 15% associate discount is smaller than Michaels' 30%, but Kohl's sells a very different mix: clothing, home goods, bedding, kitchen items, and plenty of giftable products. If your holiday shopping list leans toward apparel and home items, that discount could still be worth real money. Again, run your own numbers. A discount only saves you money if you were going to buy those things anyway.
Distribution roles at Kohl's are a different world from the store floor. They tend to be more physical, more schedule-driven, and less customer-facing. Some people love that. No small talk, no register lines, just steady work and a clear shift. Others find warehouse work repetitive or hard on the body. Be honest with yourself about which kind of day you can repeat for six or eight weeks. The best seasonal job is not the one with the flashiest announcement — it is the one you can actually show up for, every shift, without burning out before Christmas.
Holiday seasonal jobs still hiring November 2026: side-by-side comparison
Talking about each employer one by one is useful, but a side-by-side view makes the choice easier. Here is the comparison in one place, using only the confirmed facts covered above. Where a figure was not announced, the table says so plainly rather than guessing.
| Employer | Roles | Pay / discount known | Hiring event / how to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michaels | Seasonal store team members in the US and Canada | 30% employee discount; nearly half of last year's in-store seasonal roles became regular jobs | Apply at Careers.Michaels.com; announced September 10, 2026, hiring 10,000+ seasonal team members |
| Macy's / Bloomingdale's / Bluemercury | Store and supply-chain roles | Not announced in the sources checked | Nationwide hiring events Thursday, October 22 and Thursday, November 19, 2026, 11am–6pm local, with on-the-spot interviews and offers at stores; online application also available |
| Dick's Sporting Goods + Foot Locker | Seasonal store and related roles | Not announced in the sources checked | Over 11,000 seasonal workers expected (about 8,400 Dick's banners, about 2,900 Foot Locker North America); National Signing Day October 21, 2026; hiring until positions filled |
| Kohl's | Seasonal store and distribution openings | 15% associate discount; weekly pay | Openings posted for 2026; no total headcount announced; apply through Kohl's careers pages |
Read that table with your own life in mind, not just the numbers. A store ten minutes from your home beats a warehouse forty minutes away if you do not drive. A job with a discount at a store you already shop at beats a slightly higher-paying job at a store you never visit. And a role with hours you can actually cover — evenings, weekends, holidays — beats a "better" role whose schedule clashes with your childcare, classes, or other job. Seasonal work is short. The fit matters more than the headline.
How to apply: a realistic step-by-step plan
Knowing who is hiring is only half the job. Actually getting hired takes a plan, and the plan does not need to be complicated. Here is a realistic sequence that works for most of the employers above.
Step 1: Pick two or three employers, not ten
It is tempting to apply everywhere. Resist it. Pick two or three employers whose locations you can reach, whose roles fit you, and whose schedules you can cover. Apply properly to those, instead of spraying half-finished applications across every retailer in town. Quality beats quantity, especially when hiring managers are moving fast and skimming applications between shifts.
Step 2: Apply online first, then follow up in person where it helps
For Michaels, Dick's, Foot Locker, and Kohl's, the online careers page is your starting point. Search your zip code, read the posting, and apply for the exact location and role you want. For Macy's, you can apply online too — but if you can attend the November 19 hiring event, do that as well, because in-person interviews at these events can move much faster than an online queue. Whichever route you take, double-check your contact details before you submit. A wrong phone number is a surprisingly common reason a good applicant never hears back.
Step 3: Know what to bring to a hiring event
Heading to the Macy's event, or any in-person hiring session? Bring a photo ID, your Social Security number details (know them; do not carry the card unless asked), a short list of your previous jobs with dates, and your availability written down clearly — which days, which hours, and which holiday dates you cannot work. If you have a resume, bring a couple of copies, even if it is short. And wear something neat and practical. You do not need a suit for a retail hiring event, but you do need to look like someone a manager would trust on the shop floor.
Step 4: Be brutally honest about availability
This is the step people get wrong most often. They say they can work "anytime" because they want the job, then discover they cannot cover Black Friday weekend or Christmas Eve. Managers plan holiday schedules around the availability you give them. If you overpromise and then call out on the busiest days, you hurt your own chances of being kept on — and you hurt your coworkers. It is far better to say, clearly, "I can work evenings and weekends, including Black Friday, but I cannot work Christmas Eve morning," than to say "anything" and hope for the best. Honesty about availability is not a weakness. It is exactly what a hiring manager needs to place you well.
Step 5: Ask about the details that affect your paycheck
Before you accept, ask the questions that matter: What is the starting rate for this role at this location? What is the pay schedule? How are holiday-week hours scheduled, and how is overtime handled? What is the expected end date, and what happens if the store wants to keep you on? You are not being difficult by asking. You are being a grown-up about a job that will take up a large part of your December. Get the answers in the posting or from the manager, not from a rumor or a social media post.
Which job fits you? Retail floor vs warehouse vs delivery and flex driving
Not all seasonal jobs feel the same, and picking the wrong type is the fastest way to quit before Christmas. Here is an honest comparison of the three big buckets.
Retail floor: best if you like people and variety
Retail floor work means customers, conversations, and a day that changes every hour. You will help shoppers, restock shelves, run registers, and tidy departments that get messy fast during the holidays. It suits people who enjoy talking, who do not mind being on their feet, and who can stay friendly when the store is crowded and everyone is in a hurry. The downside? Holiday crowds can be exhausting, and evening and weekend shifts are the norm, not the exception. If you want a quiet job, this is not it.
Warehouse and distribution: best if you like steady, physical work
Warehouse roles — the kind Kohl's and Macy's supply-chain postings cover — mean packing, sorting, loading, and moving products through a facility. The work is physical and repetitive, but the rhythm is predictable, the expectations are clear, and you are not dealing with customers all day. It suits people who like to put headphones on, get into a flow, and finish a shift knowing exactly what they accomplished. The trade-off is the physical demand and, sometimes, early or overnight shifts. Try to visit or read honest reviews of the specific facility if you can, because conditions vary a lot from one warehouse to another.
Delivery and flex driving: best if you want independence and already drive
Delivery and flex driving roles appeal to people who like working alone, setting their own pace, and being out on the road instead of inside a building. They also come with real costs — fuel, wear on your car, and time spent in holiday traffic — that eat into whatever you earn. Before you sign up for any driving gig, do the math on your car, your insurance, and your local delivery demand. Driving can be great extra income, but only if the numbers work after costs. For a broader look at flexible ways to earn this season, see our roundup of holiday side hustles to earn extra cash, which covers several options beyond store and warehouse work.
And if you are weighing a seasonal job against a smaller, home-based hustle for the winter, it is worth comparing both honestly. A seasonal job gives you a steady schedule and a predictable paycheck. A side hustle gives you flexibility but uneven income. Some readers combine the two — a part-time store job plus a weekend hustle — and that can work, as long as the hours do not collide. For one winter-specific idea with real earning potential, read our guide to the snow shoveling side hustle for 2026, which breaks down what that work actually involves.
How seasonal roles turn into permanent jobs (and how they do not)
Let us talk plainly about conversion, because a lot of articles hype it up and a lot of readers get disappointed. A seasonal job can lead to a permanent role. It does not automatically do so. Michaels' figure — nearly half of last year's in-store seasonal roles became regular jobs — shows it happens at real scale. But it happened for last year's workers, in last year's stores, under last year's staffing needs. Your store this year may have one opening, or none, or several. Nobody can promise you a conversion, and you should be wary of anyone who does.
What actually helps? Reliability, first and foremost. Show up for every shift, on time, especially the hard ones. Learn more than one department, so you are useful wherever the manager needs you. Treat customers well even when you are tired — managers notice, and customers remember. And say, clearly and early, that you would like to stay on if an opening comes up. Do not assume the manager knows. A short conversation in early December — "I am really enjoying this, and I would love to be considered for a regular role if one opens up" — puts you on the list in a way silent hard work alone sometimes does not.
What does not help? Calling out on peak days, complaining loudly about the schedule you agreed to, or treating the seasonal job as something beneath you. Managers are choosing future colleagues, not just filling December shifts. They pick people they would want to work with in February, when the store is quiet and the team is small. Be that person.
Common mistakes that cost people a seasonal job
Most people who miss out on a seasonal job do not miss out because they were unqualified. They miss out because of small, avoidable mistakes. Here are the ones hiring managers see every year.
- Applying too late, or only once. If your first-choice store is full, apply to the next location. Do not wait for a rejection to start your second application.
- Vague availability. "Flexible" tells a manager nothing. Give days, times, and holiday dates clearly.
- Ignoring the commute. A December snowstorm turns a 40-minute drive into an hour and a half. Pick a location you can reach in bad weather.
- Skipping the hiring event. If an employer holds an event with on-the-spot offers, like Macy's November 19 event, and you can attend, go. It is the fastest route they offer.
- Not reading the posting. Rates, schedules, and end dates vary by location. The posting for your store is the truth. A national article — including this one — is only a starting point.
One more mistake: believing every number you see online. Seasonal hiring news spreads fast on social media, and old figures get recycled as if they were new. That is why this article labels last year's numbers as last year's — like Target's 2025 pay range — and says plainly when an employer had not announced a 2026 target in the sources checked. If a post you see elsewhere claims a huge 2026 headcount for an employer but gives no source and no date, treat it with suspicion until you can verify it on the employer's own careers page.
Frequently asked questions
Are holiday seasonal jobs still hiring in November 2026?
Yes. As covered above, Michaels, Macy's, Dick's, Foot Locker, and Kohl's all have seasonal hiring activity tied to November 2026, including Macy's nationwide hiring event on November 19 and Dick's and Foot Locker hiring until positions are filled. Openings vary by location and fill over time, so apply promptly for the stores near you rather than assuming every location is still open.
Which holiday seasonal job pays best or gives the best discount?
It depends on the role, the location, and what you value. Michaels offers a 30% employee discount, while Kohl's offers a 15% associate discount plus weekly pay. Hourly rates were not announced in the sources checked for several of these employers, so compare the actual postings for your area — rate, discount, pay schedule, and commute together — instead of choosing on one factor alone. For a broader pay comparison across seasonal work, the earlier guide to the best-paying seasonal holiday jobs for 2026 is a useful companion read.
Can a seasonal holiday job become a permanent job?
Sometimes, but it is never guaranteed. Michaels reported that nearly half of last year's in-store seasonal roles became regular jobs, which shows conversion is realistic — but it depends on openings at your store, your performance, and staffing needs after the holidays. Reliability, flexibility, learning multiple departments, and telling your manager you want to stay are the practical steps that help.
What should I bring to a holiday hiring event?
Bring a photo ID, your previous job details with dates, and your availability written down clearly, including evenings, weekends, and holiday dates. A short resume helps if you have one. Dress neatly, arrive early if you can, and be ready to interview on the spot. For Macy's November 19 event, hours are 11am to 6pm local time, with on-the-spot interviews and offers at participating stores.
So here is the bottom line. Holiday seasonal jobs still hiring November 2026 are real, specific, and worth applying for — if you move now, pick employers you can actually reach, and go in with honest availability and a clear plan. Start with Michaels, Macy's, Dick's, Foot Locker, or Kohl's, compare them in the table above, and get your application in before the location near you fills up. And if you want more ways to earn this season, keep exploring: the right extra income is usually a mix of a steady seasonal job and one flexible hustle that fits around it. For current context on who is hiring and how the season is shaping up, see the overview at Black Cultural News on holiday seasonal jobs in 2026 and who is hiring and the USA Today report on Amazon hiring holiday seasonal workers. Good luck — and may your December shifts be busy, your paychecks weekly where it counts, and your holiday shopping a little cheaper thanks to that employee discount.