--- title: "Royal Mail Is Hiring Almost 22,000 Christmas Workers" canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/royal-mail-christmas-2026-temporary-jobs" language: "en" author: "drashtigarach" published: "2026-09-24T17:19:04.000Z" modified: "2026-10-02T19:50:07.016Z" --- [Back to Blog](/blog) [News](/blog/tag/news)[Hiring](/blog/tag/hiring)[Jobs](/blog/tag/jobs) # Royal Mail Is Hiring Almost 22,000 Christmas Workers, From Sorters to 2,100 Truck Drivers Royal Mail is hiring almost 22,000 Christmas temps, from mail sorters to 2,100 truck drivers. Where the jobs are, what one listing pays and how to apply now. [![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach) [September 24, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/09)Updated October 2, 202615 min read ![Long rows of roller conveyors and stacked brown parcels inside a bright parcel sorting centre](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/final-10339.jpg) [https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Royal%20Mail%20Is%20Hiring%20Almost%2022%2C000%20Christmas%20Workers%2C%20From%20Sorters%20to%202%2C100%20Truck%20Drivers&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Froyal-mail-christmas-2026-temporary-jobs](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Royal%20Mail%20Is%20Hiring%20Almost%2022%2C000%20Christmas%20Workers%2C%20From%20Sorters%20to%202%2C100%20Truck%20Drivers&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Froyal-mail-christmas-2026-temporary-jobs)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Froyal-mail-christmas-2026-temporary-jobs](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Froyal-mail-christmas-2026-temporary-jobs)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Froyal-mail-christmas-2026-temporary-jobs&title=Royal%20Mail%20Is%20Hiring%20Almost%2022%2C000%20Christmas%20Workers%2C%20From%20Sorters%20to%202%2C100%20Truck%20Drivers](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Froyal-mail-christmas-2026-temporary-jobs&title=Royal%20Mail%20Is%20Hiring%20Almost%2022%2C000%20Christmas%20Workers%2C%20From%20Sorters%20to%202%2C100%20Truck%20Drivers)[mailto:?subject=Royal%20Mail%20Is%20Hiring%20Almost%2022%2C000%20Christmas%20Workers%2C%20From%20Sorters%20to%202%2C100%20Truck%20Drivers&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Froyal-mail-christmas-2026-temporary-jobs](mailto:?subject=Royal%20Mail%20Is%20Hiring%20Almost%2022%2C000%20Christmas%20Workers%2C%20From%20Sorters%20to%202%2C100%20Truck%20Drivers&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Froyal-mail-christmas-2026-temporary-jobs) [Royal Mail's own release](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/) puts its Christmas hiring target at almost 22,000 temporary workers, hired to help transport, sort and deliver the extra parcels and mail of the festive season. The biggest single block is [12,500 mail sorting roles in England](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/), and the list runs all the way to 2,100 temporary truck driver roles. If you want paid work between late October and early January, and you can handle a fast, physical shift, this drive is worth a close look. At [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) we read hiring drives like this one against the job listings themselves, because the listing is where the hourly rate, the shift times and the application rules actually sit. Here is where the jobs are, what one live listing pays, how each door works and what the rules give you as a short-term worker. ## How Many Christmas Jobs Is Royal Mail Offering, and Where Are They? The settled figure is [almost 22,000](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/). Sorting makes up the bulk of it, with [12,500 mail sorting roles in England, 1,243 in Scotland, 485 in Northern Ireland and 355 in Wales](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/). On top of the sorting jobs sit [5,000 delivery and collection roles and 2,100 temporary truck driver roles](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/), with the delivery jobs placed across the country rather than in one nation. The summary at the top of the same release describes the driving jobs more precisely, as [2,100 temporary HGV and MGV driver roles](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/). That matters if you hold a heavy goods licence, because it tells you these are heavy and medium goods vehicle jobs, not van rounds. The timing is fixed too. The seasonal roles run from [late October through to early January 2027](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/), covering Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with the heaviest work in December. Vacancies went up in phases, and the company expected [all locations to be live by 21 September](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/temporary-jobs), so the openings should already be searchable if that timetable held. ## Which Sites Will Take On the Most Seasonal Staff? The new staff are spread over a large and specific network. The temporary roles sit in two parcel super hubs in [Warrington and Daventry](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/), five seasonal parcel sort centres, four parcel hubs and 37 mail centres, with a variety of shifts on offer. The extra floor space has gone into the [seasonal parcel sort centres](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/). A total of [152,300 sqm of extra temporary space](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/), close to 22 football pitches, has been created across the five sort centres in Atherstone, Stoke-on-Trent, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Daventry. If you live in the Midlands or around Milton Keynes, that cluster is where the new temporary space is concentrated. The [four parcel hubs](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/) are spread more widely, at Stonebridge Park in London, Wishaw in Scotland, Severn Beach near Bristol and Wakefield in Yorkshire. Once parcels are sorted they move on to the network of [1,200 Delivery Offices](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/). Agency sort work overlaps with that map, and reaches a little beyond it. The [Pertemps Royal Mail page](https://www.pertemps.co.uk/candidates/work-for-royal-mail/) lists parcel sorter roles at Atherstone, Northampton, Stoke On Trent, Milton Keynes, the Midlands Super Hub in Northampton and Livingston, with opportunities running from September through to Christmas. ## What Does a Seasonal Mail Sorter Earn in an Hour? The release itself only promises competitive pay and [industry-leading terms and conditions](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/), so the real numbers come from the listings. The [Gateshead advert](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters), for example, states that the hourly rate depends on the shift pattern you are offered. One current listing gives the detail. The [seasonal mail sorter listing for Gateshead](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters), at the Tyneside Mail Centre on the Team Valley Trading Estate, sets out [three core shift patterns](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters): - **Earlies**, 06:00 to 14:00, at [£15.14 an hour](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters), at the mail centre only. - **Lates**, 14:00 to 22:00, also at [£15.14 an hour](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters). - **Nights**, 22:00 to 06:00, at [£16.44 an hour](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters), at the mail centre only, with weekend shifts paid at the same rates. Treat those figures as one listing, not a national rate card, and check the advert for your own site. Even so, they sit well clear of the legal floor. The National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over has been [£12.71 an hour since April 2026](https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates), and the minimum for those aged 18 to 20 is £10.85. There is one catch for younger applicants. Night shifts, the best paid pattern in that listing, are [not available to applicants under 18 years old](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters). Younger applicants can still apply for the [earlies and lates](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters) on that advert. > "Christmas is the busiest and most important time of the year for our customers, and we're working hard across every part of our operation to deliver for them," said Royal Mail chief operating officer Jamie Stephenson in the [company's festive release](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/). ## What Do the Truck Driver and Delivery Roles Involve? The driving jobs are not advertised in the same place as the sorting jobs, according to the [Royal Mail Christmas careers page](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas). That page lists four seasonal roles, which are Mail Sorter, Parcel Delivery Driver, LGV and MGV Driver, and Customer Service Assistant. For heavy vehicles, the [Royal Mail Christmas careers page](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas) says temporary and seasonal LGV and MGV vacancies are managed by partner agencies Pertemps and Manpower. The Pertemps page asks for Class 1, Class 2 and 7.5 tonne drivers, and describes the [7.5 tonne work](https://www.pertemps.co.uk/candidates/work-for-royal-mail/) as moving parcels and mail between distribution centres nationwide, with shifts in the afternoons and evenings. Pertemps has worked with Royal Mail for [over 13 years](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/temporary-jobs), so this is an established route, not a one-off. For vans, Parcel Delivery Driver roles for Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide are recruited exclusively by [the Angard Staffing team](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas) this year, and you need a full, manual UK driving licence. The role calls for the ability to [work independently and stay organised on the move](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas). Separately, [the Parcelforce Worldwide arm](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/) is also recruiting extra drivers and indoor workers of its own. Customer service is the one role in the list built around calls and emails. The seasonal Customer Service role is also [recruited through Angard](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas), and the page describes it as supporting customers one call or email at a time. ## How Do You Apply, and Which Door Is Right for Your Role? For mail sorting in England, Wales and Scotland, you apply directly on the [Royal Mail Christmas careers page](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas). Depending on location, a sorting vacancy may be advertised by Royal Mail or by Angard, so if nothing shows near you on the Royal Mail site, [the careers page](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas) suggests checking the agency too. The [direct process](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas) is fully digital and runs in six steps: - Apply online through a short application form. - Complete vetting by uploading clear photos of your documents to uCheck. - Accept your job offer and give your bank details. - Get access to the Welcome Hub, which holds your induction and joining information. - Bring your original ID documents on your first day. - Start work, and collect an ID badge and a high visibility vest if the role needs one. The Gateshead listing adds three rules to note before you apply. You should [apply for one location only](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters), choose a preferred shift pattern from the ones on that advert, and expect only the shifts advertised at that site to be considered. If you are [already registered with Angard](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters), you should not apply through Royal Mail at all, and should speak to your Angard representative instead. Northern Ireland works differently. Angard is [exclusively managing seasonal mail sorter recruitment](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas) in Northern Ireland this year, so applicants there go through the agency, not the Royal Mail site. If you go through Angard, have your paperwork ready before the form opens. The agency asks for [proof of right to work, proof of address, your national insurance number](https://www.angardstaffing.co.uk/rm-priority-access) and five years of address history. If you are building a CV from scratch, our guide on [making a resume for your first job](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/how-to-make-a-resume-for-your-first-job) covers the basics if you have little work history. ## Who Can Apply, and What Will the Job Ask of You Physically? Experience is not the gate. The release states plainly that [no previous experience is required](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/). It also particularly welcomes applications from [people aged under 25, including those with no experience](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/). That push has a backstory. Royal Mail is among the first employers to back [the First Chance campaign](https://www.fenews.co.uk/fe-voices/first-employers-back-alan-milburns-first-chance-campaign-for-young-people/), an effort from the Young People and Work Review chaired by Alan Milburn, which asks employers to open entry-level jobs to young people who are not in education, employment or training, offer work experience, or expand apprenticeships. The company's chief executive put the current share of young hires at [a quarter of new Royal Mail recruits](https://www.fenews.co.uk/fe-voices/first-employers-back-alan-milburns-first-chance-campaign-for-young-people/) aged 16 to 24, with plans to grow it. The physical side is spelled out. Mail sorters need to be comfortable standing for long periods, lifting and moving [mail bags weighing up to 11kg](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas), and pushing wheeled mail trolleys weighing up to 250kg in a fast-paced setting. The [Gateshead listing](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters) lists the work as unloading letters and parcels from delivery lorries, moving mail around sorting centres and sorting letters and parcels quickly and accurately. One limit applies to overseas candidates. Seasonal mail sorter roles [do not qualify for visa sponsorship](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters), so you need an existing right to work in the UK. ## Can a Christmas Job at Royal Mail Turn Into a Permanent One? It can, but read the wording carefully. The release describes seasonal positions as [often acting as a pathway to a permanent career](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/) at the company. That is a real opportunity, not a promise. The careers page is more concrete about how it works. Seasonal workers who enjoy the role are [encouraged to apply for suitable permanent opportunities](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas) as they become available. In other words, you still apply for a permanent job in the usual way, but you do it with inside experience of the site and the work. For scale, Royal Mail employs [around 130,000 people](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/). Angard offers a middle route too, as Royal Mail says temporary work through Angard comes with the [opportunity to explore permanent roles](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/temporary-jobs) in future. > "From recruiting thousands of seasonal colleagues to strengthening capacity across our network, we're making significant investments to help ensure every card, gift and parcel arrives in time for Christmas," said Royal Mail chief operating officer Jamie Stephenson in the [company's festive release](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/). ## What Are Your Rights as a Short-Term Seasonal Worker? Holiday is a right worth checking even on a short contract. Under rules introduced on [1 April 2024](https://www.acas.org.uk/irregular-hours-and-part-year-workers), irregular hours workers and part-year workers build up holiday at 12.07% of the hours they work in each pay period, based on the statutory minimum of 5.6 weeks. Whether that rule covers you depends on your contract, not your job title. [The Acas guidance page](https://www.acas.org.uk/irregular-hours-and-part-year-workers) explains that irregular hours workers usually include people on zero-hours, casual or bank contracts, and that someone whose hours are fixed under their contract is not an irregular hours worker, even on a rotating pattern. The Gateshead sorter advert is marked as a [casual contract](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters), but it also offers set shift patterns, so check your own contract before you assume which rule applies. Agency workers can fall under the same rules if their working pattern fits either definition, [according to Acas](https://www.acas.org.uk/irregular-hours-and-part-year-workers). Pay is the other right to check. If you are 21 or over, your hourly rate must be at least [the National Living Wage of £12.71](https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates), and the rates change on 1 April every year. If you think you are not getting the minimum wage, [the GOV.UK rates page](https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates) points you to Acas. Night work is worth thinking about before you pick it for the extra pay. Our piece on how [irregular work hours affect shift workers](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/irregular-work-hours-harm-brain-shift-workers-2026) covers what to expect and how to protect your sleep. ## How Does This Year Compare With Last Christmas? The shape of the drive has changed. In September 2025 the company set out a target of [20,000 temporary workers](https://retailtimes.co.uk/royal-mail-plans-to-recruit-20000-temporary-workers-to-support-its-operations-during-the-christmas-period/), including 12,000 mail centre sorting roles in England, 2,000 in Scotland, 600 in Wales and 400 in Northern Ireland. Set against this year's release, sorting in England has grown to [12,500 roles](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/) while Scotland and Wales have fewer sorting places, at 1,243 and 355. Northern Ireland has more, at [485 sorting roles](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/). The clearest change is outdoors. Last year's plan had [3,000 delivery and collection roles and 2,000 HGV and MGV driver roles](https://retailtimes.co.uk/royal-mail-plans-to-recruit-20000-temporary-workers-to-support-its-operations-during-the-christmas-period/), against [5,000 delivery and collection roles and 2,100 truck driver roles](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/) this time. The site map grew as well, from [four seasonal parcel sort centres](https://retailtimes.co.uk/royal-mail-plans-to-recruit-20000-temporary-workers-to-support-its-operations-during-the-christmas-period/) last year to five this year, with Stoke-on-Trent added to the list. The hire van count has grown alongside the headcount. Royal Mail is adding [7500 hire vans](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/) for the season and hiring over 1400 road haulage contractors a day to move festive mail and parcels, after [6,800 hire vans](https://retailtimes.co.uk/royal-mail-plans-to-recruit-20000-temporary-workers-to-support-its-operations-during-the-christmas-period/) last year. ## What This Means for Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next? Our take is that the sorting roles are open to people with the right to work and no experience, and that knowing which door to use is the main thing that will speed up your application. Almost [22,000 places](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/) sounds like a lot, yet the [Gateshead listing](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters) says seasonal roles are in high demand and recommends applying as soon as possible. The pay is a real reason to consider it. On the Gateshead listing, even the day rate of [£15.14 an hour](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters) sits above the [£12.71 adult minimum](https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates), and nights pay more again. The trade-off is heavy work on your feet, with [night shifts on offer](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters) at some sites, through the festive peak. The regional picture also argues for speed. If you are in Scotland or Wales, there are fewer sorting places than last Christmas, at [1,243 and 355](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/) against [2,000 and 600](https://retailtimes.co.uk/royal-mail-plans-to-recruit-20000-temporary-workers-to-support-its-operations-during-the-christmas-period/), so it makes sense to apply early. Here is what we would do: - **Pick the right door first.** Sorting in Great Britain goes through Royal Mail or [Angard depending on location](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas), while Northern Ireland sorting, Parcel Delivery Driver roles and customer service go through Angard, lorries go through Pertemps or Manpower, and [Pertemps also advertises](https://www.pertemps.co.uk/candidates/work-for-royal-mail/) parcel sorter and delivery driver roles. - **Apply to one site and one shift.** Choose the location you can reach every day through the season, because the [Gateshead advert](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters) asks you to apply for one location only. - **Go for nights if you can.** Nights are [not available to applicants under 18 years old](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters), but if you can take them and manage the sleep, the night rate on that listing is the highest of the three patterns. - **Get your documents ready now.** Have them to hand, because [Angard asks for](https://www.angardstaffing.co.uk/rm-priority-access) proof of right to work, proof of address, your national insurance number and five years of address history. - **Treat it as an audition.** Show up, learn the site and watch for permanent openings while you are there, because the [Christmas careers page](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas) encourages seasonal workers to apply for suitable permanent roles as they become available. If you are young and looking for a first job, Royal Mail [particularly welcomes applications from people aged under 25](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/), and the [First Chance campaign launch](https://www.fenews.co.uk/fe-voices/first-employers-back-alan-milburns-first-chance-campaign-for-young-people/) notes that mid and lower skilled jobs have fallen by around 1.6 million over the past decade. The Christmas role will not guarantee a career, but it is a paid way to get a first UK employer on your CV. Openings near you can be searched on the Royal Mail website, a point [the Brit Brief write-up of the drive](https://britbrief.co.uk/business/employment/royal-mail-to-hire-22000-temporary-staff-for-christmas-2026.html) also makes. Once you apply, the [Christmas careers site](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas) lets you track your application status. ## Related Articles - [How the Dutch Are Solving the Youth Jobs Crisis and What the UK Can Learn](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/how-dutch-solving-youth-jobs-crisis-what-uk-can-learn) - [UK Companies Struggling to Hire Young People Amid Rising Cost Pressures](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/uk-youth-hiring-crisis-rising-costs-2026) - [Unlocking Holiday Opportunities: The Rise of Seasonal Jobs](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/jobs-market-christmas-boost-seasonal-hiring) - [Boost in Seasonal Hiring This Christmas: A Chance for Job Seekers](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/christmas-hiring-boost-jobs-market) - [Stay Vigilant: Beware of Holiday Hiring Scams](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/bbb-holiday-hiring-scams) - [UPS Gears Up for Holiday Rush with Massive Seasonal Hiring](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/ups-hiring-seasonal-workers) - [How to Successfully Transition From Part-Time to Full-Time Work](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/transition-from-part-time-job-to-full-time-career) - [The Complete Guide to Part-Time Employment](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/part-time-employment) - [The Rise of the Permanent Temp and What It Costs American Workers](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/disposable-workforce-contingent-employment-costs) ## People Also Asked ### Q: How many Christmas temps is Royal Mail hiring this year? A: Royal Mail is recruiting [almost 22,000 temporary workers](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/), mainly mail sorters, along with 5,000 delivery and collection roles and 2,100 temporary truck driver roles. ### Q: How much does a Royal Mail Christmas mail sorter get paid? A: Rates depend on the shift pattern you are offered. As one example, a current Gateshead listing pays [£15.14 an hour for earlies and lates and £16.44 an hour for nights](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/job/RMGRMGGB342644EXTERNALENGB/Seasonal-Mail-Sorters), with weekend shifts at the same rates. ### Q: Do you need experience to get a seasonal job at Royal Mail? A: No. The company states that [no previous experience is required](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/), and it particularly welcomes applications from [people aged under 25](https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal-mail-to-hire-22-000-temporary-workers-to-help-deliver-christmas/). Parcel Delivery Driver roles do need a [full, manual UK driving licence](https://careers.royalmailgroup.com/christmas). Ready to explore? [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) brings together 50M jobs in one place, so you can line up your next role before the Christmas work ends. 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