People are in good spirits and socializing more frequently and both factors can be useful to the job hunter. While the number of help-wanted ads usually decreases over the holidays, those that do appear are often high priority jobs that employers need to fill quickly. Since fewer people read and respond to ads during this time, there is less competition than usual, which is to your advantage. Employment agencies usually experience a decrease in the number of applicants who come to them at the end of the year. That means you're likely to get even more attention and time if you visit them.
Fewer people submit resumes directly to companies during the holiday period.
They wrongly assume their inquires will be lost in the Christmas mail or that employers simply aren't hiring. Neither is true. And while more managers and personnel people take vacation time at the end of the year, that doesn't mean they won't consider a qualified candidate for a job they're hoping to fill. Since many companies' fiscal years correspond to their calendar year, new budgets often mean additional money for staffing new positions. In addition to using traditional job hunting resources, you should also make a point of going to parties and social events, especially ones at which you're likely to meet new people who can be sources of job leads.