Dick's Sporting Goods Inc (DKS  ) disclosed its intentions to onboard 8,600 seasonal teammates across the nation in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season.

Last year, the athletic-wear chain had marked a target of hiring 9,000 interim staff for the festive rush.

The reveal from Dick's follows similar conservative seasonal employment goals recently unveiled by giants like Target Corporation (TGT  ) and Macy's Inc (M  ), according to a report from Reuters.

The report quoted a study conducted by Challenger, Gray & Christmas that indicated a trend, noting retail outlets in the U.S. are expected to hire the lowest number of seasonal workers since 2008.

Rising labor costs seem to be the primary reason for this trend.

The report also cited a recent analysis by Deloitte, which highlights that the U.S. might witness the most sluggish growth in holiday sales in half a decade due to escalating inflation rates, leading households to tighten their budgetary belts.

However, Amazon.Com, Inc. (AMZN  ) is on a different tangent altogether, with plans to amplify its hires by a whopping 67% compared to its figures from the last two years.

The report further noted that brands like Dick's Sporting Goods, Nike, Inc. (NKE  ), and Foot Locker, Inc. (FL  ) have found themselves grappling with diminished wholesale demand.

Price Action: DKS shares are trading lower by 0.62% at $106.75 on the last check Tuesday.