Holiday job seekers confront an 'incredibly stressful' market

Seasonal hiring is poised to drop to its lowest level since 2008, a sign of caution among US businesses in the face of tariffs and consumer angst.

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Mr Strahl, 41, works as a part-time retail sales associate at an office supplies store just outside Indianapolis, Indiana. While the pay is "okay", he said it "never hurts to have a little bit more".

Finding seasonal holiday employment, for extra cash to pay his bills and buy holiday gifts for friends and family, has been a challenge. He started his search in early October and applied to CVS, Best Buy and a slew of other retailers - to no avail.

"I've never seen the job market like this - it's pretty crazy," he said.

"It doesn't really leave a lot of power for people who just want to get a job, or have a supplement in income."