"We are not getting a lot of the seasonal hiring that we would expect."

Adjusted for factors like seasonal hiring and weather, the unemployment figure increased by 31,000, to 3.978 million.

Almost all of the gain occurred in the couriers and messengers industry (+42,000); seasonal hiring was particularly strong in December.

While employers actually added 841,000 workers to their payrolls in May, the increase was rather paltry given it is usually the peak time of year for seasonal hiring.

Even though seasonal hiring dropped right after the increase took effect, it fell less than in neighboring Delaware, where the minimum wage stayed put.

And there's going to be less seasonal hiring in the spring.

Could be just seasonal hiring, me thinks.

But this year there were just four weeks, meaning there was one less week of seasonal hiring.

It noted seasonal hiring was particularly strong in December, representing 20 percent of the total jobs created.

Even at its easiest, seasonal hiring is a big job.