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In April, about 649,000 retail employees quit their jobs, the U.S. labor department reported, the largest one-month exodus since the department began keeping records more than 20 years ago.
Stores’ ex-workers are finding higher pay and better benefits at insurance agencies, fitness centers, government offices, and even marijuana dispensaries, Business Insider reported; others are returning to school or trying their hands as writers or artists.
The economic lockdown worsened already-dismal working conditions, including poor pay, understaffed stores, long hours, and rude customers, many of the former retail workers told BI.
“We’re seeing a wider understanding that these were never good jobs and they were never livable jobs,” Rebecca Givan, a Rutgers University professor of labor studies, said in comments quoted by BI.
“In many cases, the pay is below a living wage and the hours are inconsistent and insufficient,” she noted. “If anything, the pandemic has made retail jobs even less sustainable than they already were.”
Now the economic revival has opened new doors for those workers, with companies offering higher pay and perks that include everything from free snacks and help with child care to subsidized college tuition.
“In a tight labor market, we often see big shifts among workers with low earnings,” Zip Recruiter labor economist Julia Pollack said to BI. “If you’re making $12 an hour and there’s a job down the street offering $12.50, why not jump? There’s no reason not to — which is what’s happening now.”
In April, U.S. retailers had about one million jobs open, twice as many as at the start of 2020’s lockdown, BI reported.
To compete, retailers will not only need to offer higher pay but also correct structural problems in the retail industry by offering more consistent schedules and better benefits, many analysts have been suggesting.
TREND FORECAST: The retail industry is undergoing a long-term transformation. Everyday commodities such as clothing, electronics, and even groceries are being ordered online, erasing front-end retail jobs.
There will always be mega hardware stores, supermarkets, and other retail sites where people can drop in to pick up necessities.
However, sustainable retail stores increasingly will be those that specialize in meeting the needs of specific groups of shoppers and provide personal service surrounding those interests.
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