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SANTA'S HELPER
Highest paying Christmas temp jobs revealed – you could earn up to £30 an hour
Find out which supermarkets are hiring thousands of staff
SEASONAL Christmas work could pay out up to £30 an hour and give your bank account a much-needed boost.
Plenty of retailers are on the hunt for temporary staff to cover the busy festive period this year.
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Most seasonal roles end before or shortly after December 25, but they are still a great way to cover the extra cost of Christmas.
New research from Indeed reveals that online searches for seasonal work are at a six-year high too.
The hiring platform says there are some which pay out as much as £18.56 more than the National Living Wage which is £11.44.
Top of the list of highest paying Christmas temp roles is playing Father Christmas, which could earn you up to £30 an hour.
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Next is Christmas Elf work, which could earn you up to £25 per hour, then retail assistant which pays out up to £20.
Even work as a mail sorter could see you take home £17.50 an hour, while warehouse packers can bag up to £13.50 an hour.
Jack Kennedy, senior economist at Indeed, said: "When it comes to securing holiday work, high street retailers are a great place to start, as they’re leading the charge in driving seasonal job postings.
"On Indeed, M&S, Dunelm, Boots and The Perfume Shop are some of the top ten businesses by volume of seasonal job postings from August to October."
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Poundland is also hiring 1,000 staff for temporary roles this Christmas, while Aldi is also on the hunt for 3,500 workers.
Searches for seasonal work are at a six-year high, but roles are on the decrease, Indeed said.
The hiring platform, which first launched in 2004, said job postings on its platform were down 12% this year compared to 2023.
Boost your chances of getting seasonal work
With job postings down, it means competition will be fierce this Christmas.
There are ways to boost your chances of landing a temp role though, Mr Kennedy said.
"Use online job search engines to find opportunities, and don’t hesitate to network with friends and family for potential leads.
"Anyone looking for seasonal work should aim to secure it sooner rather than later as many employers begin hiring a few months before the season - so now is an opportune time to get your application in.
"Another tip that could boost your chances of securing a seasonal role is to be flexible with your work hours, as seasonal roles often require availability on short notice.
"Finally, treat the application and interview process with the same seriousness as a full-time role to maximise your chances of success, and to possibly be considered for a full-time role in the future."
Your rights as a temporary worker
Taking on a temporary job can be a great solution to make some extra cash and you are entitled to a minimum hourly salary.
You must be paid at least the national minimum wage for your age group:
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- People aged 21 and over should get no less than £11.44
- People aged 18 to 20 get no less than £8.60
- People aged under 18 should get no less than £6.40
- Apprentices should earn no less than £6.40
You're also entitled to a pay slip showing how much you’ve earned, how much national insurance (NI) you pay and what tax band you are on.
Supermarkets hiring this Christmas
Tens of thousands of seasonal jobs are up for grabs this Christmas.
Consumer reporter Sam Walker talks you through the supermarkets taking on staff.
Tesco - the UK's biggest supermarket is taking on 26,000 staff, with pay starting from £12.02 an hour. Go to tesco-careers.com/festive.
Aldi - the German discounter is hiring 3,500 people, with pay starting from £9.40. Visit aldirecruitment.co.uk.
Morrisons - Morrisons is looking for 3,000 extra people to work across its stores, food manufacturing sites and logistics operations. Visit morrisons.jobs.
Co-op - the retailer is hiring 400 new staff for the festive period. See jobs.coop.co.uk.
Sainsbury's - Sainsbury's wants to employ 20,000 seasonal roles, including 18,000 at Sainsbury's and 2,000 at Argos. Go to sainsburys.jobs/christmas.
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