Kohl's and Macy's Seasonal Jobs 2026: How to Apply for Holiday Retail Work

Kohl's seasonal jobs 2026 and Macy's seasonal jobs are open now for the holiday shopping season, and both department store chains are hiring across their stores, distribution centers and call centers. Neither company has announced a specific hiring number for 2026 — but both are actively recruiting, and Macy's held a nationwide hiring event on October 22 with another scheduled for November 19. If you need work before the holidays, here is exactly what each company is offering and how to apply.

Holiday-decorated American department store interior with shoppers and a sales associate

Kohl's and Macy's Seasonal Jobs 2026: The Short Answer

Macy's, Inc. is hiring seasonal workers for its Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury stores, supply chain locations and call centers, with hiring events on October 22 and November 19, 2026 — apply at macysJOBS.com. Kohl's is hiring seasonal store and distribution center associates — apply at careers.kohls.com/seasonal. Neither company has announced a 2026 headcount, and pay is listed in each individual job posting rather than as a single starting rate. Kohl's offers weekly pay and a 15% associate discount; Macy's says a seasonal role can lead to longer-term opportunities.

Macy's Seasonal Jobs 2026

Macy's, Inc. announced its nationwide seasonal hiring push on September 24, 2026. The company is hiring seasonal workers across all three of its nameplates — Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury — in stores, select distribution and fulfillment centers, and call centers. The company has not announced a specific number of seasonal positions for 2026, but it has confirmed the hiring is underway and is holding hiring events.

Macy's Hiring Events: October 22 and November 19

Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury held a nationwide hiring event on Thursday, October 22, 2026, with on-the-spot interviews and offers at the first event, according to the company's announcement. A second hiring event is scheduled for Thursday, November 19, 2026. If you missed the October event, November 19 is your next chance to interview in person — and even if you cannot attend, online applications remain open.

Macy's Seasonal Roles

Seasonal positions at Macy's include:

Seasonal Retail Sales Associate — selling on the floor, helping customers find sizes and styles, and working the register.
Seasonal Fulfillment Associate — picking, packing and shipping online orders in stores and distribution centers.
Customer Experience Associate — greeting customers, handling returns and exchanges, and solving problems.
Merchandise Support Associate — receiving shipments, tagging merchandise and keeping the sales floor stocked.
Stock and Receiving Associate — unloading trucks and organizing the stockroom.
Seasonal Santaland and holiday roles — Macy's Santaland positions, including front-of-house customer service, run through December 24, 2026.

Many Macy's seasonal listings are part-time, typically scheduled for 10–20 hours per week depending on business needs and your availability, with evening, weekend and holiday shifts expected. Macy's does not publish one starting pay rate for seasonal jobs — pay ranges are listed in each individual posting and vary by role and location. According to Indeed, seasonal associates at Macy's are paid roughly $18 to $25 an hour, but always check the pay shown on the actual listing before you apply. Macy's also offers a recorded interview option for its roles, so you can complete part of the hiring process from home.

How to Apply for Macy's Seasonal Jobs

Go to macysJOBS.com (or bloomingdalesJOBS.com and bluemercuryJOBS.com for those brands).
Search "seasonal" and enter your city or ZIP code.
Read the full listing — including the pay range, hours and end date — before applying.
Complete the application and, if offered, the recorded interview.
Attend the November 19 hiring event at your local store for an in-person interview if you can.

Kohl's Seasonal Jobs 2026

Kohl's is hiring seasonal workers for its stores and distribution centers for the 2026 holiday season, with openings posted on its dedicated seasonal careers page. Like Macy's, Kohl's has not publicly announced a 2026 seasonal headcount. For context, Challenger, Gray & Christmas noted that Kohl's hired roughly 90,000 seasonal workers in most of the past decade — but that is a historical figure, not a 2026 announcement, so do not treat it as this year's number.

Kohl's Seasonal Roles

Seasonal Retail Sales Associate — helping customers on the sales floor and at the register.
Customer Service Associate — handling returns, exchanges and customer questions.
Seasonal Truck Unloader and Stockroom Associate — unloading deliveries and keeping shelves stocked.
Seasonal Material Handler — working in Kohl's distribution centers moving holiday inventory.

Kohl's says seasonal associates enjoy flexible schedules, weekly pay and a 15% employee discount, plus access to Kohl's Wellness Centers, which offer primary care and physical therapy. Pay varies by store, state and role, and is shown in each job listing.

Seasonal retail worker stocking shelves with folded sweaters in a department store

How to Apply for Kohl's Seasonal Jobs

Go to careers.kohls.com/seasonal.
Choose store roles or distribution center roles, then enter your location.
Check the listing for the pay rate, shift times and expected end date.
Submit your application — Kohl's hires on a rolling basis, so earlier is better.

What Seasonal Retail Roles Are Actually Like

Seasonal retail work is real work with a fixed end date — usually early January, after the holiday returns slow down. Expect to be on your feet for most of your shift, to work evenings, weekends and the days around Black Friday and Christmas, and to handle a fast pace during peak shopping hours. In return, you get weekly pay, a store discount you can use for your own holiday shopping, and experience that looks good on a resume — especially if this is your first job. Students, retirees, stay-at-home parents returning to work, and anyone between jobs are all common seasonal hires, and neither Kohl's nor Macy's requires a degree for these roles.

If you want more ideas for holiday work beyond department stores, read our guides to Amazon's 300,000 holiday jobs for 2026 and UPS, USPS and FedEx seasonal delivery jobs.

5 Tips to Get Hired for a Seasonal Job Fast

Apply this week, not next month. November still brings openings, but by then many employers are filling last-minute schedules rather than building their main holiday team. The best choice of shifts goes to early applicants.
Show open availability. Seasonal hiring managers prize flexibility above almost everything else. If you can work evenings, weekends and holidays, say so clearly on your application.
Apply to several employers at once. Kohl's, Macy's, Target, Walmart and the delivery carriers are all hiring for the same season. Applying to three or four increases your chances and gives you leverage on shifts.
Keep your resume short and honest. One page, your contact details, any retail or customer service experience, and your availability. If you have no work experience, list school, volunteering or caregiving — reliability matters more than a long job history. Our 2026 resume guide shows the format that works.
Follow up in person. After applying online, visit the store, introduce yourself to a manager, and mention that you applied. For Macy's, the November 19 hiring event is built for exactly this — and these job search resources can help you prepare before you go.

Smiling retail associate helping a customer at a checkout counter during the holidays

Seasonal Hiring in 2026: The Bigger Picture

Department store jobs are part of a strong seasonal hiring season. According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, US employers announced 470,400 seasonal hiring plans through October 2026 — up 26% from the 372,520 announced through October 2025, which was the lowest total since Challenger began tracking seasonal hiring in 2012. Amazon led the announcements with plans to hire 300,000 workers, followed by UPS with 100,000. Seasonal job postings on Indeed were up about 10% from the same point last year as of September 30, 2026, and were running roughly 7% ahead of 2019 levels.

That is good news for job seekers — but note the caveat in the Challenger report: most of the hiring is short-term and seasonal, and several major retailers that historically announced big hiring targets have not disclosed 2026 headcount figures at all, including Kohl's and Macy's. The jobs are real; the numbers just are not public. Apply on the official careers pages, verify the pay and end date on the actual listing, and never pay anyone to apply — legitimate employers never charge a fee to hire you.

Who Seasonal Work Suits Best

Seasonal jobs at Kohl's and Macy's suit students on winter break, retirees who want extra income, parents who need school-hours shifts, and workers between jobs who need income now. They also suit anyone testing whether retail is a career path: Macy's has said a seasonal role can open the door to longer-term opportunities, and both companies regularly keep strong seasonal workers on after the holidays. If you are currently out of work, seasonal retail is also a solid bridge — the broader job market is hiring too, as our analysis of the October 2026 jobs report shows, with 165,000 jobs added last month. And if you have recently been laid off, read our guide to what laid-off workers should do next.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kohl's hiring seasonal workers for 2026?

Yes. Kohl's is hiring seasonal store and distribution center associates for the 2026 holiday season, with openings posted at careers.kohls.com/seasonal. Kohl's has not publicly announced a 2026 seasonal headcount. Roles include sales associates, customer service associates, truck unloaders, stockroom associates and material handlers.

Is Macy's hiring seasonal workers for 2026?

Yes. Macy's, Inc. announced nationwide seasonal hiring on September 24, 2026, for its Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury stores, supply chain locations and call centers. The company has not announced a specific number of seasonal positions for 2026. Apply at macysJOBS.com, bloomingdalesJOBS.com or bluemercuryJOBS.com.

When is Macy's next seasonal hiring event?

Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury are holding a nationwide hiring event on Thursday, November 19, 2026. The first event took place on October 22, 2026, with on-the-spot interviews and offers. You can also apply online at any time.

How much do Kohl's and Macy's pay seasonal workers?

Neither company publishes a single starting pay rate. Pay is listed in each individual job posting and varies by role and location. Kohl's offers weekly pay and a 15% associate discount. According to Indeed, Macy's seasonal associates are paid roughly $18 to $25 an hour, but always check the pay shown on the actual listing you apply for.

Do Kohl's and Macy's seasonal jobs lead to permanent work?

Sometimes. Macy's has said that for some workers, a seasonal role can open the door to longer-term career opportunities beyond the holiday season. Both companies regularly keep strong seasonal performers on after the holidays, but a permanent job is never guaranteed — perform well, show up reliably, and tell your manager you want to stay.

How do I apply for Kohl's and Macy's seasonal jobs?

Apply on the official careers pages only: careers.kohls.com/seasonal for Kohl's and macysJOBS.com for Macy's (plus bloomingdalesJOBS.com and bluemercuryJOBS.com). Search "seasonal," enter your location, read the full listing, and submit your application. Never pay anyone to apply — legitimate employers never charge a fee.

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