‘Tis the Season for Courier and Messenger Delivery Services

Even before the turkey hits the table, retailers and e-tailers alike work to entice holiday shoppers with deals. Whether bought in a store or fulfilled online, many seasonal gifts make their way to friends and family through delivery services.

The private couriers and messengers subsector shows a distinctive seasonal pattern. Over the past decade, couriers and messengers establishments have ramped up hiring in the fourth quarter, hitting an employment peak in December each year. In the past few years, December job totals have averaged 2,500 above annual employment. After the flurry of holiday deliveries, sector employment winds down and generally hits a low in either April or July.

The seasonal swing in employment became more pronounced from 2006 to 2016. The difference between peak (December) employment and the lowest employment month in the same year generally ranged between 1,200 and 1,700 jobs from 2006 to 2012. In 2013, the seasonal swing in payroll employment rose to 2,000, and continued to grow to 3,000 in 2014 and 2015. By 2016, the difference between monthly job highs and lows totaled 3,700.

Read more about couriers and messengers employment in the full article by Senior Economic Analyst Gail Krumenauer.