Retail stores are preparing for the holiday shopping season with significantly fewer seasonal workers than last year, even as sales are expected to reach unprecedented levels, CBS News reports.

From Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, retailers plan to hire between 265,000 and 365,000 seasonal workers, a sharp drop from the 442,000 brought on last year, according to the National Retail Federation . This would mark the lowest level of seasonal retail hiring in 15 years.

The reduced hiring expectations come as the broader labor market shows signs of strain. Job cuts through October have reached their highest levels since 2020, and businesses across the nation are holding off on adding new workers, according to CBS.

Despite the pullback in hiring, the NRF expects holiday sales to surpass $1 trillion fo

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