|
|
Sales and administrative support jobs comprise 83 percent of retail employment in the United States. Most jobs do not require formal education; many people get their first jobs in this industry. Retailers offer many part-time jobs with relatively low earnings. Despite relatively slow employment growth, turnover will produce numerous job openings in this large industry.
|
|
Sales and related occupations accounted for 65 percent of workers in this industry in 2002. Retail salespersons, who comprise 56 percent of employment in the industry in the United States, help customers select and purchase merchandise. A salesperson’s primary job is to interest customers in the merchandise and to answer any questions customers may have. In order to do this, the worker may describe the product’s various models, styles, and colors, or demonstrate its use. To sell expensive and complex items, workers need extensive knowledge of the products.
In addition to selling, most retail salespersons electronically register the sale on a cash register or terminal; receive cash, checks, and charge payments; and give change and receipts. Depending on the hours they work, they may open or close their cash registers or terminals. This may include counting the money in the cash register; separating charge slips, coupons, and exchange vouchers; and making deposits at the cash office. Salespersons are held responsible for the contents of their register, and repeated shortages are often a cause for dismissal.
Salespersons may be responsible for handling returns and exchanges of merchandise, wrapping gifts, and keeping their work areas neat. In addition, they may help stock shelves or racks, arrange for mailing or delivery of a purchase, mark price tags, take inventory, and prepare displays. They also must be familiar with the store’s security practices to help prevent theft of merchandise. Cashiers total bills, receive money, make change, fill out charge forms, and give receipts. Retail salespersons and cashiers often have similar duties.
|
|
Office and administrative support occupations make up the next largest group of employees, accounting for 18 percent of total employment in the industry.
Stock clerks and order fillers bring merchandise to the sales floor and stock shelves and racks. They may also mark items with identifying codes or prices so that they can be recognized quickly and easily, although many items today arrive preticketed.
Customer service representatives investigate and resolve customers’ complaints about merchandise, service, billing, or credit ratings. The industry also employs administrative occupations found in most industries, such as general office clerks and bookkeepers.
|
|
Management and business and financial operations occupations in individual retail stores accounted for 3 percent of industry employment in the United States. For information, see Retail Trade Management.
|
|
Various other store-level occupations in this diversified industry include pharmacists, hairdressers, material moving workers, food preparation and serving workers, and security guards.
|
|
Most employees in clothing, accessory, and general merchandise stores work under clean, well-lighted conditions. Many jobs are part time, with the most employees working during peak selling times, including nights, weekends, and holidays. Because weekends are busy days in retailing, almost all employees work at least one of these days and have a weekday off. During busy periods, such as holidays and back-to-school season, longer than normal hours may be scheduled, and vacation time is limited for most workers, including buyers and managers.
Retail salespersons and cashiers often stand for long periods, and stock clerks may perform strenuous tasks such as moving heavy, cumbersome boxes.
The incidence of work-related illnesses and injuries varies greatly among segments of the industry. In 2002, workers in clothing and accessory stores had 3.0 cases of injury and illness per 100 full-time workers, while those in general merchandise stores had 7.7 cases per 100 full-time workers. This compares with an average of 5.3 throughout private industry.
|
|
Hourly earnings of nonsupervisory workers in, clothing, accessory, and general merchandise stores are well below the average for all workers in private industry. This reflects both the high proportion of part-time and less experienced workers in these stores, and the fact that even experienced workers receive relatively low pay compared with experienced workers in many other industries.
Many employers permit workers to buy merchandise at a discount. Smaller stores usually offer limited employee benefits. In larger stores, benefits are more comparable with those offered by employers in other industries and can include vacation and sick leave, health and life insurance, profit sharing, and pension plans.
Unionization in this industry is limited. Only about 3 percent of workers were union members or covered by union contracts, compared with 15 percent in all industries.
|
|
Clothing, accessory, and general merchandise stores—one of the largest employers in the Nation—had about 4.1 million wage and salary jobs in 2002. Department stores accounted for most jobs in the industry, but only about 7 percent of establishments. In 2002, about 7 of 10 workers were employed in clothing, accessory, and general merchandise stores with more than 50 workers. In contrast to many industries, this industry employs workers in all sections of the country, from the largest cities to the smallest towns. Many of the industry’s workers are young—31 percent were under 24 years old in 2002, compared with 14 percent for all industries. About 29 percent of the workers were employed part time.
|
|