Retail Hiring Falls 14% in October, November
Retail job gains in October and November totaled 521,800, 14 percent fewer than the 604,300 retail jobs added during the period last year, according to recently released data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. In November, retail employment grew by 371,500, but was 9.3 percent below last year, the lowest November increase since 2010. October was equally anemic with the addition of 150,300 retail positions, 23 percent lower than in October 2015.
Total Retail's Take: The recent hiring numbers from Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. aren't surprising, given the fact that as more shoppers move online, there's less need for extra workers in brick-and-mortar stores. Even on Black Friday — once notorious for early morning mob scenes at department stores — many Americans stayed home and shopped online. In fact, Adobe Digital Insights reported online orders on Black Friday shot up nearly 22 percent this year to roughly $3.3 billion in sales. What you may see in coming years, and started to see somewhat this year, is an increase in retailers hiring warehouse and distribution staff to keep up with the increase in online orders.
