ICIMS Insights: Holiday Hiring Cooldown Pressures Retailers to Move Qualified Candidates Faster with AI and Candidate Re-Engagement
PR Newswire•08/10/2026•09:00 ET
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Key Highlights
- ➤Frontline applications ended September 18% below baseline, signaling a thinner retail candidate pool
- ➤Retail time to fill remained at 37 days entering the holiday hiring season
- ➤U.S. hiring fell 7% below September 2025 baseline while job openings stayed 3% above baseline
- ➤Urban Outfitters re-engages former employees and past applicants to support seasonal hiring
- ➤Candidates ages 18 to 24 comprised 40% of retail applicants, up from 37% year ago
Expert Statements
Trent Cotton, Head of Talent Insights, ICIMS
“Holiday hiring never stops being a hot topic, but the candidates behind it have changed.”
Trent Cotton, Head of Talent Insights, ICIMS
“Gen Z is now leading the pool, and recruiting strategies built for a different generation will not hold up this season. Employers will need to adjust their processes for faster communication, clearer disclosure and an application built for how this generation applies.”
Danny Rojas, Senior Principal of Product and Market Insights, ICIMS
“Qualified, available candidates are becoming harder to attract in high-volume hiring, especially when retailers are competing for many of the same people at the same time.”
Danny Rojas, Senior Principal of Product and Market Insights, ICIMS
“Start with the talent you already know. Reengage last year's seasonal workforce, revisit qualified candidates already in your pipeline and ask your existing employees for referrals. There is a lot to do in a very short window, and starting every search from scratch only makes it harder.”
ICIMS Insights: Holiday Hiring Cooldown Pressures Retailers to Move Qualified Candidates Faster with AI and Candidate Re-Engagement PR Newswire
New ICIMS Insights October 2026 Workforce Report finds frontline applications 18% below baseline and retail time to fill at 37 days
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