Peak season 2026 · for temp agencies
Peak is here. Post every shift free.
Tesco plans to recruit more than 28,000 temporary workers this Christmas, and Royal Mail around 22,000.23 Put every temp role in front of UK jobseekers, at no cost and with no pay per click.
- Immediate start badge
- Swipe to apply on phones
- No limit on jobs
- 23,000+ temporary jobs live right now
- 260,000+ jobs added in the last 7 days
- 520,000+ live UK jobs on the board today
- £0 to post a job, with no limit on how many
Christmas 2026
Big names are hiring for peak right now
Seasonal hiring figures announced this autumn. If you supply retail, parcels or logistics, your temp roles need to be where jobseekers are looking.
The season
The dates that drive peak
-
Now
Christmas temp hiring is under way
Get every temp role live while candidates are looking.
-
Friday 27 November
Black Friday10
Shops, warehouses and delivery networks gear up for the Black Friday weekend.
-
Monday 30 November
Cyber Monday10
Online orders keep warehouses and delivery rounds busy.
-
Friday 25 December
Christmas Day
Last cover for December shifts and the days after.
-
January
New year roles
Post your new-year roles free too, as soon as you have them.
The temp market
What the latest figures say
Temp billings grew again in September 2026, according to the KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs, although growth was the slowest in five months.4
In September 2026, demand for temporary staff grew in Blue Collar, IT & Computing and Nursing/Medical/Care roles, while temp demand in Retail fell sharply.5
The number of candidates available for work rose again in September 2026, with temporary candidate numbers growing at the fastest rate in three months.6
The REC says 872,000 temporary and contract workers are on assignment in the UK on any given day.7
Built for shift work
Help people find the shifts they want
Jobseekers filter for the way they want to work. Make sure your roles turn up when they do.
-
Immediate start
Tick one box when you post. Your job gets a Start this week badge and joins the shift feed.
See start this week jobs -
Weekend and casual work
Temporary, part-time and contract roles appear in our weekend and casual work hub.
See weekend work -
Night shifts
Jobseekers can filter for night shifts. Jobs from your feed are tagged from the advert text.
See night shift jobs -
Temp to perm
Choose Temp to perm as the contract type and jobseekers looking for a way in can filter for it.
See temp to perm jobs
Swipe to apply
Fast to post. Fast to apply from a phone.
Posting is one short form. A person checks your first job, then your later jobs go straight live, so once you are approved, a shift that comes in at 4pm can be on the board at 4pm.
On a phone, jobseekers can swipe through jobs and apply with a swipe. Applications come to your dashboard, or straight to the inbox you choose.
Good to know
Peak questions, answered
Anything else? Reply to any of our emails or use the contact form, and a person will get back to you.
Can we post temporary and shift work?
Yes. Choose Temporary, Temp to perm, Contract or Part time as the contract type, tick Immediate start when the role starts this week, and put the shift pattern and pay in the advert. Posting is free, with no limit on how many jobs you post.
How quickly do jobs go live?
A person checks your first job before it goes live. Once one of your jobs has been approved, your later jobs go straight live, unless something in an advert needs a second look.
How do people apply from a phone?
On a phone, jobseekers can swipe through jobs and apply with a swipe. You choose whether applications come to your YourNextJob.co.uk dashboard or straight to an inbox.
We have hundreds of peak roles. Do we have to post them one by one?
No. Connect your careers page or job feed once on our for agencies page, and if we can read it your live jobs appear and stay in step as roles open and close.
Get your peak roles live today
Free to post, no card and no pay per click. Tick Immediate start for the shifts that start this week.
Sources, checked 26 Oct 2026
Every figure about another company comes from the page linked below, read on the date shown. Prices and terms change, so check the source before you rely on one.
-
Posting a job on YourNextJob.co.uk is free, with no limit on how many jobs you post and no card needed.
YourNextJob.co.uk, employer pricing. Checked 26 Oct 2026. yournextjob.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
-
Tesco plans to recruit more than 28,000 temporary workers across the UK for Christmas 2026.
Retail Gazette, 12 October 2026. Checked 26 Oct 2026. retailgazette.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
-
Royal Mail is recruiting around 22,000 temporary workers for the 2026 festive season, including 5,000 delivery and collection roles and 2,100 temporary truck drivers.
Nation.Cymru (PA), 27 September 2026. Checked 26 Oct 2026. nation.cymru (opens in a new tab)
-
Temp billings grew again in September 2026, according to the KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs, although growth was the slowest in five months.
KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs, 10 October 2026 (September data). Checked 26 Oct 2026. kpmg.com (opens in a new tab)
-
In September 2026, demand for temporary staff grew in Blue Collar, IT & Computing and Nursing/Medical/Care roles, while temp demand in Retail fell sharply.
KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs, 10 October 2026 (September data). Checked 26 Oct 2026. kpmg.com (opens in a new tab)
-
The number of candidates available for work rose again in September 2026, with temporary candidate numbers growing at the fastest rate in three months.
KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs, 10 October 2026 (September data). Checked 26 Oct 2026. kpmg.com (opens in a new tab)
-
The REC says 872,000 temporary and contract workers are on assignment in the UK on any given day.
REC press release, 7 June 2026 (citing its latest Recruitment Industry Status Report). Checked 26 Oct 2026. rec.uk.com (opens in a new tab)
-
Marks & Spencer is hiring 11,000 seasonal store colleagues for Christmas 2026.
Retail Gazette, 12 October 2026. Checked 26 Oct 2026. retailgazette.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
-
Boots is looking to bring in 6,000 temporary workers for Christmas 2026.
Retail Gazette, 12 October 2026. Checked 26 Oct 2026. retailgazette.co.uk (opens in a new tab)
-
Black Friday 2026 is Friday 27 November, and Cyber Monday is 30 November.
Which?, Black Friday 2026. Checked 26 Oct 2026. which.co.uk (opens in a new tab)