Worker Shortages Drive Companies to Boost Benefits Amid Holiday Hiring

A sign advertising for new employees with an updated starting salary of $16.75 per hour is seen in the window of a Target store in Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2021. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

Companies are struggling to hire seasonal workers as they head into the busy holiday season during one of the tightest labor markets in U.S. history.

The number of part-time jobs has increased by 31.4 percent over the past four weeks, according to data from global job search engine Adzuna. The rise coincides with the National Retail Federation’s estimate that retailers will hire 500,000 to 665,000 seasonal workers, compared to 486,000 last year.