The average pay for seasonal employees are at an all time high, due to a lack of workers.
Research from Glassdoor – the website where people anonymously review their employers – found the average hourly rate for seasonal work is now £9.47 an hour.
This is a 9 percent increase compared to the last non-COVID Christmas in 2019 when mean hourly rates were £8.69.
The extra 78 pence per hour is the highest pay rise in at least 5 years, for seasonal workers.
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Between 2016 and 2019, most seasonal employee salaries were under £9 per hour.
Glassdoor data shows in 2021, the most common salary band for Christmas jobs is £10-11 per hour. The percentage of workers in this salary bracket increased by 164 percent from 2019.
Demand for labour in the manufacturing and transportation sectors has pushed salaries up 12 percent in 2021 when compared to 2019.
The Great Resignation has impacted the seasonal workforce
51 percent of workers have also changed their jobs since March 2020. The pandemic and resulting labour shortage due to the Great Resignation have allowed workers to demand better from their employers.
Many larger organisations are also offering one-off bonuses for new joiners. However, despite the choice of jobs on offer, the increase in wages and the joining bonus, it seems temporary workers are less satisfied with their seasonal work.
Pay is not an important factor in choosing a job
Glassdoor data shows that pay is the least important reason for people to join. Employees are more likely to look into a company’s culture and values, quality of senior leadership and access to career development.
Meanwhile, seasonal employees say they feel overworked due to having to cover for the vacant positions. Many describe their workplaces as ‘understaffed’ and ‘tiring’.
Furthermore, conversation around work-life balance and flexibility has also risen amongst seasonal workers. Temporary staff, like permanent staff, are still feeling burnt out.
Glassdoor economist Lauren Thomas comments: “Employers across the UK are having to pull out all the stops to fill the thousands of seasonal positions which are still open for Christmas. Hourly pay is at an all-time high but the tight labour market has left employees with tough working conditions.”
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Click here for Glassdoor’s full economic analysis of Christmas.
