Is December a dead time for job-hunting, or a good time? Some people think dead, as so many decision-makers take time off. Others think the holidays are a good time to get hired, as managers have performance deadlines that might include filling vacant positions. The hard data say that December is the slowest month for hiring, but there are still plenty of positions filled despite the holidays.

New Hires by Month, average from 2001 through 2019

Dr. Bill Conerly based on data from U.S. Department of Labor

December turns out to be the slowest month for new hires, with January coming back up to nearly average. However, plenty of people get hired: 4.2 million in December 2018, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. December averages 26% fewer new hires than the typical month. The retail sector makes very little difference to the total figures; retail hiring for the holidays occurs in October and November, then drops off in December just like non-retail hiring.

The more important question is what should a job-seeker do about it? If the option is to give up looking, that is a bad choice, as plenty of people do get hired during the holidays. December is also a good time to lay the groundwork for the better months to come.

However, if someone looking for work is wondering when to take some time off and visit family or have a vacation, December would be a good choice. This is also a good time not to despair. A job candidate who believes prospects are good at a particular company may be discouraged not to hear back from the hiring manager. However, that hiring manager may be taking time off despite having year-end reports to complete. The hiring decision may be put off until after New Year’s, despite the frustration to the job candidates.

The best job-search strategy is usually to mix methods, including personal contacts, applying to job boards and cold-calling likely employers. The weeks leading up to Christmas are busy for many people, so those personal contact approaches will be more difficult. Less frustrating will be applying to job boards and researching potential companies.

Once Christmas Day has been and gone, the people who do go in to work are more available. They have fewer meetings and conference calls scheduled. Instead, they sit in their offices catching up. The week between Christmas and New Years is the time to catch people on the phone.

Job hunting is seldom fun. Understanding the normal rhythm of the seasons can make it less frustrating.