The holidays are the busiest time of year for many manufacturers, and staying ahead of the rush starts with understanding what’s changed. Below, we break down the manufacturing trends shaping the 2026 holiday season, share practical tips for building a stronger seasonal staffing plan, and look at how partnering with a staffing agency can help you stay fully covered when demand peaks.
An even longer holiday shopping season
The holiday shopping season keeps stretching earlier each year. Some of the year’s hottest gifts are already showing up on store shelves well before the traditional Black Friday kickoff, as retailers and shoppers alike lean into an early-bird approach. A large share of shoppers now say they plan to start early specifically to avoid delays, while a similar share shop year-round to catch the best deals.
At the same time, Cyber Five (the stretch from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday) has been regaining its share of total holiday e-commerce sales rather than fading in importance, so manufacturers need a staffing plan flexible enough to cover both an extended lead-up and a concentrated demand spike around that peak weekend. Mobile is also playing a bigger role than ever in how orders come in, with more than half of all holiday e-commerce sales expected to come from mobile devices this year, which tends to accelerate impulse buying and compress fulfillment windows even further.
As a result, manufacturers must prepare earlier than ever to meet consumer expectations, with a flexible staffing plan that can cover both the extended run-up and traditional peak weekend.
Manufacturing staffing tips for the holidays
With the holidays right around the corner, it’s even more important to have reliable workers to help you meet deadlines. However, many other companies are drawing from the same candidate pool.
So, how do you create a seasonal hiring plan that ensures your company is fully staffed? Here are some ideas to help you get started:
Plan ahead and start earlier than you think you need to
Look back at past holiday seasons to see when your company has the highest demand. With the shopping season now starting well before Thanksgiving, build in extra lead time for recruiting, onboarding and training so you’re not scrambling once the rush actually hits.
Offer flexible schedules
Hiring seasonal employees who work on different schedules can support your existing full-time team. Flexible schedules are not only advantageous for seasonal employees but also benefit your full-time workers who need time off during the holiday season.
Cross-train your team
Encourage your workers to learn how to do tasks outside of their job description. This not only makes them more well-rounded contributors but also means that they can fill in for other team members during workforce shortages, vacations or busy seasons like the holidays. Cross-training is especially valuable as more facilities blend automated and manual processes, since workers who can move between roles help keep a mixed production line running smoothly.
Prioritize employee morale
Heightened demands during the holidays can cause stress for your team. Hiring seasonal employees reduces the burden. You can also use incentives or recognize teams for achieving goals to foster a positive and encouraging work environment.
The benefits of using a staffing agency during the holidays
A staffing agency can help support your workforce needs during the holiday season. Here are a few ways a manufacturing staffing agency or warehouse staffing agency can support your business:
Access a larger candidate pool
Traditional recruiting methods have limited reach to today’s job seekers, especially in a labor market this tight. Working with a staffing agency gives you convenient access to manufacturing workers who are available now.
Discover workers with development potential
Many candidates use part-time or temporary jobs to get their foot in the door of a company or industry. Once you recognize top performers, you may have the ability to transition them into full-time roles or call them back during other busy seasons, creating a valuable pipeline when skilled talent is this hard to find.
Minimize administrative tasks
Managing paperwork for temporary workers presents its own set of challenges, especially during the busy holiday season. A staffing agency saves you the headache by handling background checks, onboarding and payroll responsibilities.
Reduce turnover among your full-time workforce
Hiring seasonal workers can help your team stay on track. It reduces the strain on your permanent staff, making them less likely to burn out or quit.
How PeopleReady’s holiday staffing solutions can benefit your manufacturing company
To succeed in this year’s holiday season, you need a staffing partner you can trust: PeopleReady. Our manufacturing staffing and warehouse staffing experts can help you create a seasonal hiring plan that includes supplemental workers. Plus, you can manage your workforce 24/7 using our app, JobStack.
If you are looking for manufacturing staffing solutions during the holiday season and beyond, PeopleReady can put your workforce within reach. We provide manufacturing workers and warehouse workers across a variety of roles, including:
- Assembly and production workers
- Forklift operators
- Machine operators
- Loaders and unloaders
- Pickers and packers
- Shipping and receiving workers
- And more
