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Numerous job openings — many of them part time and relatively low paying — should be available in the United States due to the industry’s large size and high rate of turnover. Many grocery store workers are young, with persons 16 to 24 years old holding 30 percent of the jobs. Cashiers and stock clerks and order fillers account for nearly one-half of all jobs. College graduates will fill most new management positions.
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Stock clerks and order fillers are the second largest occupation in grocery stores, accounting for 17 percent of workers. They fill the shelves with merchandise and arrange displays to attract customers. In stores without computer scanning equipment, stock clerks and order fillers may have to manually mark prices on individual items and count stock for inventory control.
Many office clerical workers, such as secretaries and administrative assistants; general office clerks;and bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, prepare and maintain the records necessary to keep grocery stores running smoothly.
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Cashiers make up the largest occupation in grocery stores, accounting for about one-third of all workers. They scan the items being purchased by customers, total the amount due, accept payment, make change, fill out charge forms, and produce a cash register receipt that shows the quantity and price of the items.
In most supermarkets, the cashier passes the universal product code on the item’s label across a computer scanner that identifies the item and its price, which is automatically relayed to the cash register. In some grocery stores, customers themselves scan and bag their purchases, and pay using an automatic payment terminal, a system known as self-checkout. Cashiers verify that the items have been paid for before the customer leaves. In other grocery stores, the cashier reads a hand-stamped price on the item and keys that price directly into the cash register.
Cashiers then place items in bags for customers; accept cash, personal check, credit card, or electronic debit card payments; and make change. When cashiers are not needed to check out customers, they sometimes assist other workers.
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Grocery stores ranked among the largest industries in 2002, providing 2.5 million wage and salary jobs. About 30 percent of all grocery store employees worked part time, and the average workweek of nonsupervisory workers was 30 hours. Some self-employed workers also worked in grocery stores, mostly in smaller establishments.
In 2002, there were about 86,000 grocery stores throughout the Nation. Most grocery stores are small; about two-thirds employ fewer than 20 workers. Most jobs, however, are found in the largest stores. About three-quarters of workers were employed in grocery stores with more than 50 workers.
Many grocery store workers are young, with persons 16 to 24 years old holding 30 percent of the jobs. This reflects the large number of jobs in this industry open to young workers who have little or no work experience.
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Butchers and other meat, poultry, and fish processing workers prepare meat, poultry, and fish for purchase by cutting up and trimming carcasses and large sections into smaller pieces, which they package, weigh, price, and place on display. They also prepare ground meat from other cuts and fill customers’ special orders. These workers also may prepare ready-to-heat foods by filleting or cutting meat, poultry, or fish into bite-sized pieces, preparing and adding vegetables, or applying sauces or breading. Butchers and other meat, poultry, and fish processing workers often work from a central facility, from which smaller packages are sent to area stores.
Bakers produce breads, rolls, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods.
Chefs and head cooks direct the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. Some plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.
Cooks and food preparation workers make salads—such as coleslaw or potato, macaroni, or chicken salad—and other entrees, and prepare ready-to-heat foods—such as burritos, marinated chicken breasts, or chicken stir-fry—for sale in the delicatessen or in the gourmet food or meat department.
Other food preparation workers arrange party platters or prepare various vegetables and fruits that are sold at the salad bar.
Demonstrators and product promoters may offer samples of various products to entice customers to purchase them.
In supermarkets that serve food and beverages for consumption on the premises, food and beverage serving workers take orders and serve customers at counters. They may prepare short-order items, such as salads or sandwiches, to be taken out and consumed elsewhere. Building cleaning workers keep the stores clean and orderly.
In the warehouses and stockrooms of large supermarkets, hand laborers and freight, stock, and material movers move stock and goods in storage and deliver them to the sales floor; they also help load and unload delivery trucks. Hand packers and packagers, also known as courtesy clerks or baggers, perform a variety of simple tasks, such as bagging groceries, loading parcels in customers’ cars, and returning unpurchased merchandise from the checkout counter to shelves.
Some specialty workers prepare food for sale in the grocery store and work in kitchens that may not be located in the store.
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Because of the expansion of the industry to meet the consumers’ desire for “one-stop shopping,” grocery stores have begun to employ an array of workers to help meet that need.
For example, marketing and sales managers forecast sales and develop a marketing plan based on demographic trends, sales data, community needs, and consumer feedback. Pharmacists fill customers’ drug prescriptions and advise them on over-the-counter medicines. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers assess whether products and facilities meet quality, health, and safety standards. Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists are responsible for making sure that employees maintain and, if necessary, improve their skill levels.
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Working conditions in most grocery stores are pleasant, with clean, well-lighted, climate-controlled surroundings. Work can be hectic, and dealing with customers can be stressful.
Grocery stores are open more hours and days than most work establishments, so workers are needed for early morning, late night, weekend, and holiday work. With employees working 30 hours a week, on average, these jobs are particularly attractive to workers who have family or school responsibilities or another job.
Most grocery store workers wear some sort of clothing, such as a jacket or apron, that identifies them as store employees and keeps their personal clothing clean. Health and safety regulations require some workers, such as those who work in the delicatessen or meat department, to wear head coverings, safety glasses, or gloves.
In 2002, cases of work-related injury and illness averaged 7.3 per 100 full-time workers in grocery stores, compared with 5.3 per 100 full-time workers in the entire private sector. Some injuries occur while workers transport or stock goods. Persons in food processing occupations, such as butchers and meatcutters, as well as cashiers working with computer scanners or traditional cash registers, may be vulnerable to cumulative trauma and other repetitive motion injuries.
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Average weekly earnings in grocery stores are considerably lower than the average for all industries, reflecting the large proportion of entry-level, part-time jobs. In 2002, nonsupervisory workers in grocery stores averaged $335 a week, compared with $506 a week for all workers in the private sector. Earnings in selected occupations in grocery stores appear in table 2.
Managers receive a salary, and often a bonus based on store or department performance. Managers in highly profitable stores generally earn more than those in less profitable stores.
Full-time workers generally receive typical benefits, such as paid vacations, sick leave, and health and life insurance. Part-time workers who are not unionized may receive few benefits. Unionized part-time workers sometimes receive partial benefits. Grocery store employees may receive a discount on purchases.
About 22 percent of all employees in grocery stores belong to a union or are covered by union contracts, compared with about 15 percent in all industries. Workers in chain stores are more likely to be unionized or covered by contracts than are workers in independent grocery stores. In independent stores, wages often are determined by job title, and increases are tied to length of job service and to job performance. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is the primary union representing grocery store workers.
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