Posted in Management Best Practices

What Employers Should Expect from the Workforce This Summer

Most employers have started hiring for the summer season. High competition for talent is expected.

Seasonal hiring trends, evolving job seeker priorities, and economic shifts impact workforce availability.

Knowing what to expect helps employers find talent to help reach business goals.

Seasonal Hiring Trends

Online search trends show that summer job interest was at a record high in late March 2025 and early April. Because the traditional peak is around May, and the March and April 2025 data show the highest level of interest recorded for the period, job seekers appear to be starting their searches earlier this year.

The hospitality and leisure industry is among the largest US employers of seasonal workers. These workers are in high demand during peak travel seasons, such as the summer holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Google Trends data shows the search popularity score for summer jobs in mid-April 2025 was approximately 86. During the same time last year, the score was around 73; the year before, it was 66; three years ago, it was 54. Washington, D.C., had the highest search popularity score of 100, indicating the high demand for seasonal employment.

The data show the summer job market will be highly competitive. Hospitality companies should proactively recruit seasonal workers to secure the best talent.

Evolving Job Seeker Priorities

Most workers seeking summer jobs are mainly concerned about earning money and gaining job experience. They desire competitive wages to meet their growing financial needs and transferrable skills to secure better jobs next summer.

Other job seeker priorities include:

A strong workplace culture
Alignment between company and personal values
Flexible work hours
Pay transparency
Equity
Parity
Stability
Open communication
Growth opportunities

These tips can help employers provide what summer workers desire:

Offer competitive income and part-time employment.
Include the work hours, pay rate, and location in job postings.
Prioritize the mobile application and experience.
Post QR codes to encourage walk-in applications.
Encourage employee and summer worker referrals.
Work with a temporary staffing agency to source qualified talent.
Provide a positive employee experience to encourage returning next season.

Economic Shifts Impacting Workforce Availability

Increasing costs due to anticipated tariffs encourage many employers to reduce the number of teenagers hired. For instance, because tourism is expected to decrease, prices might increase, raising employment costs. Also, many employers are implementing technologies and automation for tasks that teenagers traditionally completed, reducing the number of jobs available.

The growth of immigration enforcement and deportations impacts teenage summer employment. For instance, increasing deportations often cause immigrant parents to reduce their working hours or leave their roles, encouraging their U.S.-born teen children to find jobs.

Labor shortages worsened by deportations encourage some state legislators to ease child labor laws. For instance, Florida is considering letting 16- and 17-year-olds work full-time, relaxing rules for 14- and 15-year-olds who are homeschooled or virtually educated, and allowing 13-year-olds who soon will turn 14 to work.

Need Help Finding Summer Workers?

PrideStaff offers temporary workers to provide the flexibility needed to meet business goals. Contact your local PrideStaff office to discuss your summer staffing needs today.

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