Yes, you read that number right. According to a recent article published by The Wall Street Journal, as of this August, there are 790,000 job openings available in the retail industry in the US. That’s an increase of 165,000 from this time last year. A clear indication that the so-called retail apocalypse is not what it seems. Yes, some larger stores have closed their doors this year but even more e-commerce and small businesses are expanding their retail footprint. While the economy continues to be on the up-tick, these store owners are hiring. A lot.
“Wrongheaded stories about the demise of the industry may be an impediment for some people to consider the industry,” said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist at the National Retail Federation. “But the data is clear: Retailers are hiring.”
Another interesting fact brought to light in the article is the increase in wages in the retail industry. To compete with demand for top talent retail has started paying more with the average weekly pay for retail nonsupervisory workers rising 4.7% in the past year with an average of $15.31 per hour. Companies are doing whatever it takes to attract and keep their top salespeople. They’re also tapping into recruiters and technology to help find these workers. Using a platform like AllWork to connect directly with top talent in the industry could be the difference between filling a position fast or losing out on critical in-store sales.
Want to learn more about how to efficiently find, manage, and pay your retail staff? For more information, or to see a full demo of the AllWork platform, contact us at info@allworknow.com
