Christmas temporary jobs are the easiest first job to land in the UK: retailers, delivery firms and hospitality hire thousands of teenagers every autumn, train you from scratch, and often keep the best temps on permanently. Applications open from late September and most roles are filled by mid-November, so apply in October.
The application window
Christmas hiring runs to a predictable calendar:
- Late September to mid-October — the big retailers and delivery companies open applications. This is the best time to apply: the most roles, the least competition.
- Late October to mid-November — most interviews and offers happen. Roles start filling up fast.
- Late November onwards — only leftovers and last-minute cover shifts remain.
If you are reading this in October, you are right on time. Set aside one evening and apply to several employers at once.
Who hires 16 and 17 year olds for Christmas
- Supermarkets and high-street shops — shelf stacking, tills, click-and-collect and stockroom work. Most large chains hire from 16.
- Delivery and warehouse firms — sorting and packing roles surge in November. Check age limits per site; some warehouse roles are 18+.
- Garden centres and Christmas markets — seasonal staff for tills, grottos and catering.
- Restaurants and cafés — extra weekend and evening staff through December.
- Wrapping and events work — short gigs through local agencies and shopping centres.
What it pays in 2026
From April 2026, the minimum wage is £8.00 an hour for under 18s and £10.85 for 18 to 20 year olds, and many Christmas temp roles pay at or above these rates. A 16 year old working two shifts a week through the season can realistically earn £400 to £700 before Christmas. You will not pay income tax on this — earnings under £12,570 a year are below the personal allowance.
How to actually get picked
- Apply early and widely — five to ten applications in October beats two perfect ones in November.
- Say yes to awkward shifts — temps who can do evenings and weekends get hired first.
- Keep the CV to one page — school, any volunteering or odd jobs, and two lines about you. Our first CV guide and free CV builder will get you there in under an hour.
- Mention January — telling the interviewer you would love to stay on after Christmas is the single strongest thing you can say. Retailers use temp season to find permanent staff.
Turning a temp role into a permanent job
Plenty of part-time careers start as six weeks of Christmas work. The temps who get kept on are simply the ones who turn up on time, learn the till quickly and ask their manager in December whether any permanent hours are coming up. Even if the answer is no, you leave with a reference and real experience — which makes the next application far easier.
For year-round options, see our guides to weekend jobs for 16 year olds, teen jobs and minimum wage by age, and check live seasonal roles on the opportunities board.