After a wave of store closings in 2017, report shows how to promote economic security for the retail workforce
11.14.2017
NEW YORK — A new Fair Workweek Initiative survey of more than 1,000 people working for America’s biggest retail brands shows that many working in the industry struggle to achieve economic security. The survey offers new insight into the experience of working in retail as the industry undergoes a period of upheaval and employers like Walmart make new investments in training and higher wages.
“Retail is one of the biggest jobs engines in America, and this survey shows we have a lot more work to do to make those jobs the kind that can truly support working families,” said Carrie Gleason, Director of the Fair Workweek Initiative at the Center for Popular Democracy. “Working people are speaking up, and if we want solutions that work, we need to start listening. Together, we can ensure retail emerges from its current troubles as an industry that provides real economic opportunity for working Americans.”
This is the first national survey of the retail workforce since a wave of store closings began last year. It covers a slew of major employers across the industry, including: Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Macy’s and Walgreens.
The survey finds that training does translate into better job opportunities in the industry – but that poor job quality is undermining the investment into training. More workers see the ability to maintain “open availability” – or the willingness to work any schedule – as a leading factor for a promotion, compared to training, experience, or positive performance reviews. The demand for open availability and to work erratic hours, in turn, impedes many workers from advancing in their jobs by making it nearly impossible to juggle work with other responsibilities. Nearly half of workers surveyed, for example, took care of kids and other family members, and one in five held a second job.
The report also revealed that many working people in retail are relegated to part-time jobs, hurting their earnings and further subjecting them to unpredictable hours. Nearly half of frontline workers surveyed were part-time, incurring both a pay penalty – part-time workers make 68 cents for every dollar earned by their full-time counterparts – and vulnerability to wildly erratic hours.
“When I worked at Walmart, a ‘promotion’ just meant you would be rewarded with more stable hours every week. It didn’t mean you would be paid more or get more responsibility,” said Kingia Phillips, a former Walmart stocker and member of OUR Walmart. “Retail jobs can help people like me, but we need jobs that treat employees with respect and provide us with the skills to create a better life.”
While retail suffered a series of store closings in 2017 – in part, driven by pressures from private equity investors and online retailing – more stores still opened than closed. Retail still employs one in ten workers in America, and retail salesperson is one of the fastest-growing professions in the country. As market dynamics in retail reshape the industry, the survey points to a deep need to stabilize the retail workforce by improving job quality and providing meaningful pathways for career advancement.
The full report can be read here. The survey findings include:
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Media Contact:
Asya Pikovsky, apikovsky@populardemocracy.org