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Worker Crisis Ensues As Workers Say No To Retail

Retailers are facing a worker crisis. The number of open retail positions has been growing, while the industry's labor pool has been shrinking, according to data from the job site Indeed. Retail job openings posted on the website increased 26% to 530,477 in the 12 months ending in September.

But interest in those jobs — which Indeed measures by the number of clicks on the postings — has waned, dropping 9% overall. It's forcing many retailers, such as Walmart, Target, and TJ Maxx, to raise wages and improve worker benefits, such as medical coverage, to better compete for employees.

Companies that can't attract and retain employees in the increasingly competitive market may be forced to operate with fewer workers than they need, which could cause some problems during the busy holiday season, Sinclair said.

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by Anonymousreply 102June 22, 2019 6:43 PM

Ohhhhh really no one wants to work for $9 an hour no shit.......No one wants to work jobs were they don't know their next weeks work hours oh really.........No one wants to work jobs were they are randomly scheduled to work 4 hours one day and 6 hours the next day..........

by Anonymousreply 1October 26, 2015 9:28 PM

They don't want anyone to work more than 28 hours so they won't have to pay any health care.

by Anonymousreply 2October 26, 2015 9:32 PM

Who would want a job with barely minimum wage and terrible benefits? In my country shop workers actually earn enough for a living!

by Anonymousreply 3October 26, 2015 9:33 PM

Another weird fucking thing is that they make people take bizarre psychological tests, they make you answer idiotic trick questions at the job interview. They make you do multiple interviews with different people. Then they make you watch lame anti union fucking videos. You would think you are applying to work for the FBI with all the shit they make you do. I haven't applied for one of those shitty jobs in well over a decade. But I still remember those egotistical fuckers at the job interview. They should be thankful and kissing the ass of anybody whose life is so fucked up that they apply for a $9 an hour shitty retail job.

by Anonymousreply 4October 26, 2015 9:36 PM

No wonder. Retail used to be considered a respectable career, now it's widely viewed as an entry-level job for unmotivated teens and 20-somethings.

I worked in a department store in the late '70s - early '80s, union wages, commissions, great benefits, regular schedule. I put myself through college working alongside people who had been there for years, or even decades, who took pride in their jobs, had regular customers, knew the merchandise, and were good at what they did.

We opened daily at 9:30 and stayed open Monday, Thursday, and Friday until 9, other days until 6. Sunday was 12-5. Even at Christmas we never stayed open past 10. Opening on Thanksgiving or New Years? Unheard of! We were open other holidays, and working was optional, but at double-time plus holiday pay, there was never a shortage of volunteers. You could have a life outside of work with hours like that. I made over $20,000 in 1980, equal to over $57,000 now.

The work wasn't any more difficult then than it is now, and yes, we complained about the way 'management' treated us, but it was a very nice way to earn a living. Now when I go into a store, everyone seems so unhappy to be there (that is, if you can even find someone to wait on you).

After years of treating their workers like shit, no wonder nobody wants to work for them.

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by Anonymousreply 5October 26, 2015 9:41 PM

If you are over 22 years old and you are sitting down and filling out a big box retail or a fast food job application your life has hit rock bottom. Get help for your psychiatric, psychological, addiction and/or social problems ASAP.

by Anonymousreply 6October 26, 2015 9:43 PM

The retail industry sucks from top to bottom. From the slave wages paid to the workers in sweat shops in Asia to make crap clothes and electronics, to the actual stores here where as R1 point out, workers are treated like shit and paid little.

Why is that?

by Anonymousreply 7October 26, 2015 9:45 PM

[quote]It's forcing many retailers, such as Walmart, Target, and TJ Maxx, to raise wages and improve worker benefits, such as medical coverage, to better compete for employees.

Good. The reason interest is waning is that the jobs don't pay enough to live on, and have crap benefits.

by Anonymousreply 8October 26, 2015 9:47 PM

R5 - is this you on the left?

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by Anonymousreply 9October 26, 2015 9:52 PM

R6, why don't u get some psychological help?

by Anonymousreply 10October 26, 2015 9:54 PM

Sorry R6 I do not agree.

In my 30s I managed several retail stores and gladly interviewed and hired older workers. Often their unemployment was due to circumstances beyond their control (the company they worked for went out of business, they moved because of a spouse's change in employment, etc) and they were looking for an interim job to get them through.

IME, older workers are more dependable, have better social skills, and are more willing to take direction. They didn't spend all day on the phone with their friends, or call in hungover on Saturday morning. I found that, at Christmas for example, the older temp workers I hired spent time learning about the merchandise whereas the younger workers spent time gossiping with each other. When January came around and I had the opportunity to keep a few people on full time, guess who I chose? I am proud to say that several of the people I hired as Christmas stock workers went on to become store managers themselves.

I'm in my mid 50s, have a mid-level tech job now and I make a comfortable salary, but I've always said that should I be laid off and in need of a paycheck, I would take any job until I could find something in my field, and in my salary range. If that meant hawking blu-ray players at Best Buy or folding shirts at Kohl's until something better came along, so be it.

by Anonymousreply 11October 26, 2015 9:57 PM

R6 is what is wrong with this country.

by Anonymousreply 12October 26, 2015 10:00 PM

r6, I live in Florida and there are a ton of workers who have retired and have retail/hospitality jobs to help supplement healthcare and other expenses, or to just have something to do. They usually provide great service, but they obviously aren't going continue putting up with the bullshit from these megastores.

by Anonymousreply 13October 26, 2015 10:02 PM

Sorry R9, I was definitely more Mr Humphries than Miss Brahms.

But I did work with a woman who was just like Mrs Slocombe (she even had the same hairdo, except for the odd colors).

ARE YOU BEING SERVED? did resonate with me, to some degree. We were like a big loopy, dysfunctional family, spread out over 6 floors. I've never had a job where we socialized with each other, vacationed with each other, spent time in each other's home, and yes, fucked around with each other, like that job.

by Anonymousreply 14October 26, 2015 10:04 PM

If you are "retired" and working as a Walmart greeter or folding sweaters you failed to save up enough for retirement. Why work some shitty retail job in your old age to have something to do? Those jobs are too monotonous and dull and occasionally can be very degrading. How pathetic... I will make sure I save enough for my retirement to travel and entertain myself so I'm not so pitifully poor and bored that my idea of a good time is working at Walmart. Those old geezers are just making sociopath executives rich. Go ahead oldsters work for 9$ an hour so some Walmart exec can buy another Ferrari and travel the world and enjoy life.

The people who slave at those big box and fast food jobs were brainwashed by the "just work hard and you will have everything you want in life crowd" Work,work,work!! You will get anything you want if you just work hard. Worrrk harder!!! They are like the work horse named Boxer in the George Orwell novel Animal Farm. If you think you will ever own a home, a nice car, wear nice clothes, take nice vacations or have nice things slaving away for $9 an hour you are wrong. The only people who have nice things who work those jobs are people with shitloads of credit card debt.

Reality check if you work for $9 an hour-YOU ARE A FUCKING SLAVE--get it through your thick skull. You will have no money left after paying for your basic needs. If you own no property or nice things after slaving away for years at a job guess what dumbass you are a slave. (If you don't have any savings or property and your most prized possession is a $200 smart phone after being in the workforce for over a decade, pssssssssstttt let me let you in on a little secret-----you are a slave. Duhhhhhh)

I stand by my SEEK HELP statement. People who work those shitty jobs are fucked up and damaged. Get some self esteem people. It's a harsh statement. But it's just tough love. Don't piss your lives away being a slave making some sociopath executive rich. Get help for the child abuse or whatever psych or social issues that kept you from going to college and getting a real career.

by Anonymousreply 15October 26, 2015 10:47 PM

[quote]How pathetic... I will make sure I save enough for my retirement to travel and entertain myself

Yes dear, that's what a lot of Americans said before the recession. And life expectancy continues to increase. So those geezers are going to become way more numerous and stick around a lot longer.

by Anonymousreply 16October 26, 2015 10:53 PM

This should work out well for us.

by Anonymousreply 17October 26, 2015 10:57 PM

r15 that is not true my mother is retired - has plenty of money but chooses to work a retail job....she likes to keep busy. Since my dad died and we children are grown and left town. She tried church, bingo all the old lady stuff but she prefers to work. She tells these dumb kids she works with how they are getting screwed in pay and benefits lol.

by Anonymousreply 18October 26, 2015 10:57 PM

Sadly for me I have not attained my degree goals and I am broke and it looks like I'm going to have to work at a WM that will open in so many months in the town I am living. I wanted to be a teacher. At 46 and broke I don't seem to have any opportunities anymore. I'm a cancer survivor and had to pay for it myself and some of my assets were stolen years ago and I've never recovered. I know I will be embarrassed and ashamed working there when people I know see me there.

by Anonymousreply 19October 26, 2015 10:58 PM

R19, every day is a gift. Don't let other people judge you. It's just their egos talking. Sometimes people teach us how not to be. Good luck.

by Anonymousreply 20October 26, 2015 11:16 PM

Don't work at big box or fast food ever. Get a job at a call center, entry level office job, or at a factory. Retail and fast food jobs will lower your already low self esteem. Those jobs cause depression and are degrading. Don't let people who you went to highschool with see you working at Walmart for god sake.

by Anonymousreply 21October 26, 2015 11:21 PM

R15 Not everyone who has a shitty job is a shitty person. Most are probably far from it. But you sure are a shitty person the way you judge and shame.

Shame the employers and the government that let this happen to honest, relatively low skilled jobs and labour.

by Anonymousreply 22October 26, 2015 11:46 PM

OMG!! The Nation has a shortage of SALES BOTTOMS????

by Anonymousreply 23October 26, 2015 11:47 PM

I worked retail jobs in high school and university and they actually weren't bad then: you made a decent wage; those that were hired full time got 5 8 hour shifts a week while part timers got 4 4 hour evening shifts or maybe just 2 8 hour ones (like on the weekend). The only bad thing was that when it was your day off, there was always some asshole who couldn't come in that day so you had to avoid your phone like the plague lest you get "the call". I burn out quickly at these jobs though as I am not a "people person".

by Anonymousreply 24October 26, 2015 11:59 PM

Shit jobs at shit wages.

No, thanks, Walton spawn.

by Anonymousreply 25October 27, 2015 12:19 AM

When I worked in retail, which wasn't that long ago, most of the people I worked with were college graduates who couldn't find a job with the degree they had. So a college degree doesn't guarantee shit anymore.

I'm skeptical about this article, there's a lot of unemployed people out there so if they're not working retail, then where are they working?

With that said, these retail stores are ridiculous. They expect so much from employees like selling stupid membership cards and meeting sales goals (usually without commission), They can't even give you a set schedule, they barely pay you anything.

I really don't understand who came up with the membership card idea, it seems like it would cost the companies more money because the way it works with most companies is that if you don't sell a certain amount of cards after a certain amount of time you get fired, so then the company has to go and hire and train someone new.

After a certain point, it's impossible to sell cards if nearly every customer has one. Let's say your store is in a small town and you have 200 customers and all of those customers has a membership card, how do you expect your employees to sell them?! When I worked in retail, all the customers who came to the register already had a card so there wasn't anything I could do.

And customers hate it. I know that I avoid stores that harass you about their dumbass membership card. I'll just shop online, thank you very much!

by Anonymousreply 26October 27, 2015 12:20 AM

What kinds of stores sell membership cards? The only ones I've ever run across are Costco and Sam's Club, and since non-members can't even get in, they don't push you to buy one.

by Anonymousreply 27October 27, 2015 12:40 AM

They're constantly selling them at Barnes & Noble, R27. You pay $25 (or more?) per year, and you get 10% off all purchases.

by Anonymousreply 28October 27, 2015 12:48 AM

[quote]Companies that can't attract and retain employees in the increasingly competitive market may be forced to operate with fewer workers than they need, which could cause some problems during the busy holiday season, Sinclair said.

It's telling they don't even mention the obvious solution: pay a little better, offer some benefits, don't impose sadistically erratic schedules.

Same thing with Alabama enacting laws that made the immigrants leave. The crops rotted in the fields; farmers were suddenly aghast that no one else wanted those jobs under those conditions.

by Anonymousreply 29October 27, 2015 1:36 AM

TJ Maxx has something for EVERYone

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by Anonymousreply 30October 27, 2015 1:46 AM

Sure, the pay's not great, but you're working in the glamour capital of America when you're a Wal-Mart "associate."

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by Anonymousreply 31October 27, 2015 2:49 AM

It's kinda surprising, what with their "fundie" attitudes and philosophy at the corporate level, that they don't know this very famous verse from the Bible:

"As ye sow, so shall ye reap."

by Anonymousreply 32October 27, 2015 3:46 AM

It's shocking to me what docile cows people earning these pitiful wages are. At least the fast food workers, mostly big city ones are doing the real organizing and pushing for a $15 minimum wage, which is still not a living wage, but it's a great start.

by Anonymousreply 33October 27, 2015 5:07 AM

Given that many people on earth farm rice wading knee deep in muddy water, these jobs aren't so terrible.

by Anonymousreply 34October 27, 2015 5:11 AM

[quote] Get a job at a call center

All outsourced to India or whatever third world country rich CEOs are exploiting labor in now

[quote] entry level office job

those rarely exist anymore. If they do, they won't hire anyone with any kind of experience for them

[quote] or at a factory

Hahahaha! No manufacturing jobs anymore in the US.

by Anonymousreply 35October 27, 2015 5:16 AM

That's ok. I enjoy self check.

by Anonymousreply 36October 27, 2015 5:54 AM

Working for a small business owner is worse than corporate; no benefits and they make you feel guilty if you don't work off the clock on occasion.

by Anonymousreply 37October 27, 2015 9:39 AM

Dear God, R31.

Isn't that a criminal offense?

by Anonymousreply 38October 27, 2015 2:59 PM

[quote]So a college degree doesn't guarantee shit anymore.

Bullshit, a CRAPPY college degree doesn't but a RELEVANT one does. I overheard two young men talking on the el yesterday, he's got nearly 50,000 in loans and soon will have a bachelors in "theater," whatever that is. That was a waste of money.

by Anonymousreply 39October 27, 2015 3:05 PM

The problem is the economy IS getting better. But still a lot of companies have had 8 years now where they called all the shots. They forgot what it used to be like.

I work at a very fancy club, a 70 year old guy took a job as a doorman and he worked with us for four months did a good job, he keeps itching for full time. Of course the cheap club doesn't want to do insurance, so yesterday he quit and found another better paying job down the street that will give him the insurance. A year ago that wouldn't have happened.

So retail like every other place is going to have to wake up as the economy improves.

by Anonymousreply 40October 27, 2015 3:09 PM

[quote]"As ye sow, so shall ye reap."

Since corporations are eternal, GenX will pay for what boomers have sown- if they ever retire.

by Anonymousreply 41October 27, 2015 3:17 PM

No matter where you shop in retail , they are all scripted to say "Hope you found everything alright".

by Anonymousreply 42October 27, 2015 3:31 PM

I thought this was why immigrants were being brought into this country. To do the jobs Americans didn't want to do.

by Anonymousreply 43October 27, 2015 3:52 PM

R43 = the IND, the IRT, and the BMT.

by Anonymousreply 44October 27, 2015 3:57 PM

Speaking of years ago in retail .....

I remember that there was a time decades ago when a man could sell appliances for say MONTGOMERY WARDS and make a comfortable living so that his wife didn't have to work and they could raise a couple of children in their mortgaged home in the suburbs.

by Anonymousreply 45October 27, 2015 4:35 PM

Even a shoe salesman with a layabout wife could afford a decent home the Chicago suburbs.

by Anonymousreply 46October 27, 2015 4:37 PM

My husband's uncle sold electronics in Macy's for his whole working life. Retired with a pension. Macy's doesn't even sell electronics anymore, let alone offer a pension.

by Anonymousreply 47October 27, 2015 4:45 PM

R5 is right it used to be somewhat respectable (and stores used to be nicer!) but society is so filled with contempt for people now and the 1% so greedy they destroy their own businesses.

R11 is right (and sounds like he would be a good boss) - people can end up in these jobs for a variety of reasons, not related to who they are or their experience, or abilities.

I hope the workers trying to raise wages and standards are successful. It is even rougher in smaller cities and towns where these places are the only place to work and do not have many office jobs....

by Anonymousreply 48October 27, 2015 5:04 PM

All this clamor to pay no-skills workers a living wage begs the question of what happens when the jobs go away due to automation. Slef-checkout's just one good example. People have to learn to adapt. I worry about a future where 50% of the population can't find a way to do anything productive because they're not capable of it.

by Anonymousreply 49October 27, 2015 6:10 PM

R46 My mom worked for Macy's ONLY as a part-time employee (four hours a day) for about 20 years and she got retirement benefits and a lifetime employee discount, which she used until she died at 93. I'll bet that doesn't happen anymore.

by Anonymousreply 50October 27, 2015 6:16 PM

I used to work retail when I was younger. Now I wouldn't touch it unless homelessness was looming. I can't imagine not having a holiday off. I think it's a disgrace how shops are now open on Thanksgiving, Christmas etc.

by Anonymousreply 51October 27, 2015 6:28 PM

All those shop girls ruined retail for trying to catch a husband who was above their station in life.

by Anonymousreply 52October 27, 2015 7:24 PM

Retail workers are now sex workers.

by Anonymousreply 53October 27, 2015 7:51 PM

Race to the bottom. ONLY Bernie Sanders is talking about this and talking straight and simply.

by Anonymousreply 54October 27, 2015 8:26 PM

I worked retail as a teen and into my early twenties. I worked at Bloomingdales, which was fun and most of the management was nice. However, Macy's was a different story. They treated the help like slaves, and made ridiculous demands(on a long weekend, work until the store closes at 12 midnight and then show up the next morning at 8 AM. This, of course, was during the holidays). Another problem I had was I worked in the women's shoe dept. at Macy's. I had a co-worker(a bitchy little frau) who would steal my sales(we worked on commission); I would do all of the work, and then when I wasn't looking(because I was busy cleaning up the mess the customer made of the shoe boxes) she would ring the sale under her employee #. I finally quit when the managers were indifferent. So did several other co-workers who had the same problem with the little bitch.

by Anonymousreply 55October 27, 2015 8:50 PM

R55 u shouldn't work retail. U don't have the right attitude.

by Anonymousreply 56October 27, 2015 8:58 PM

I was very nice and well liked by the customers, R55. Besides, now I'm too old and would only touch a job like that again if I had no choice.

by Anonymousreply 57October 27, 2015 9:01 PM

[R39] The people I worked with had degrees in education, one had a degree in physical therapy, not sure about the others. Some people were real estate agents who had to work retail because the market was bad at the time.

The only "crappy" college degree anyone had was a degree in art.

I was trying to make a point to r6 who thinks having a degree guarantees you will be living like a king. There's plenty of college educated people in retail, whether or not their degrees are "crappy" isn't the point.

The point is that, now that everyone is getting degrees they're worth about the same as a high school diploma and there's not enough jobs to go around so some people get stuck in retail.

Welcome to America.

by Anonymousreply 58October 27, 2015 10:28 PM

Kmart sucks

by Anonymousreply 59October 27, 2015 10:45 PM

Dollar general sucks too

by Anonymousreply 60October 27, 2015 10:46 PM

Costco food court sucks.

by Anonymousreply 61October 27, 2015 10:50 PM

Oh god! I hate their food court too!

by Anonymousreply 62October 27, 2015 10:58 PM

People say Costco's pizza is so good. I was done before I'd finished one slice.

by Anonymousreply 63October 27, 2015 10:59 PM

[quote] Kmart sucks

Yes, it does. I took a job there several years ago out of desperation. I worked night stock so I didn't really have to deal with asshole customers. But he cashier hours were based on "performance". The poor things had to get customers to sign up for a bunch of crap--- Sears credit cards, warranties and the shitty "Shop Your Way" cards. If they didn't hit thier target, they got their already minimal hours cut or were fired.

THIS is why there is such low morale with retail workers. They have to do this crap, plus put up with idiot customers, clean up messes and work with a crazy part time schedule--noon to six pm on Tuesday then 9am-2pm on Wednesday for example--- plus work week-ends and holidays. All of his fun for about $8..00 / hour.

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by Anonymousreply 64October 27, 2015 11:30 PM

At the Walgreens I go to the cashiers have to shout Welcome to Walgreens!!! every time someone walks in the door. It's ridiculous. Even if they are ringing you up they shout it to whoever just walked in. You can imagine how sincere it sounds. It's shit like that that make these type jobs stink. You just know some corporate asshole who doesn't have to do it just loves the idea and does secret compliance checks.

by Anonymousreply 65October 27, 2015 11:32 PM

[quote] At the Walgreens I go to the cashiers have to shout Welcome to Walgreens!!! every time someone walks in the door.

Oh gawd---just like at Subway. NOTHING makes me groan inwardly more then hearing some surly, pimpled teen or limited English speaker screech "HI! WELCOME TO SUBWAY!!!!!!" at EVERY FUCKING PERSON that wanders in.

My BF's niece got fired from Panera because she answered the phone "I'm having a shitty, fucked day here at Panera bread!" instead of the usual "We're having a great day here at Panera Bread!"

by Anonymousreply 66October 27, 2015 11:41 PM

Well, I worked in the Costco food court briefly, and I never tried that pizza; I never tried anything we made there.

It was a "part time" job. I was thinking I would be working 3-4 days per week. WRONG! I ended up working 4-6 hour days 8, 9+days straight, with one day off here and one day off there - - not even two consecutive days off. Fuck. That.

by Anonymousreply 67October 27, 2015 11:44 PM

[quote]Race to the bottom. ONLY Bernie Sanders is talking about this and talking straight and simply.

More like race to the shopbottom.

by Anonymousreply 68October 28, 2015 12:01 AM

Who the hell is this R39 person who has never heard of the Theater!!! Who the hell does he think he is!!!!!

by Anonymousreply 69October 28, 2015 12:03 AM

[quote]At the Walgreens I go to the cashiers have to shout Welcome to Walgreens!!! every time someone walks in the door.

Same at the one in my neighborhood. They've never been surly with me, but you can tell they hate that part.

Years ago, one of my fraternity brothers worked at Subway less than a day. He got just two or three hours in when he got fed up and told a customer, "Make your own fuckin' sandwich!"

by Anonymousreply 70October 28, 2015 12:17 AM

lol r66.

More incidents like these on the way!

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by Anonymousreply 71October 28, 2015 12:54 AM

My experience with department stores of yore is like that of R5.

But these days when I want to find something extra-special beyond the big box stories, I go on the Internet, where I get far more selection and variety. Often times shipping is reduced or free if it's over a certain amount, and delivery is always right to my door. Over the last year, I've probably done at least ten such purchases, which otherwise would have been done at a physical, retail department store in the past. And I didn't have to run all over town looking for the right thing, very assured that I found exactly what I was looking for at a fair price. And I don't even consider myself a rabid internet shopper, so imagine others are doing this far more than myself.

by Anonymousreply 72October 28, 2015 1:24 AM

I agree, R72. I'm very vocal about how bad it is to do the self-check outs at the grocery store because "these people need jobs!" (which is true) but basically for the past two years I won't go near the stores if I can buy it online. The driving, parking, trying to navigate strollers and dopes on their cellphones, the rudeness at most of these stores . . . fuck it!

by Anonymousreply 73October 28, 2015 1:08 PM

[quote]I'm very vocal about how bad it is to do the self-check outs at the grocery store

I love self-checkout. Love, love, love.

by Anonymousreply 74October 28, 2015 1:10 PM

I drive to the other side of town just to use the self-check out.

by Anonymousreply 75October 29, 2015 1:10 PM

I don't go to the other side of town, R75, but I often choose my local grocery chain over WF or TJ's so I can use self-checkout.

by Anonymousreply 76October 29, 2015 1:32 PM

My Partner manages a retail store which is in most big malls, Their starting pay rate is 8 dollars an hour. They cannot attract anyone to work at that. Their assistant manager positions start at 11 - And they have cut all their payroll, so even if he can hire someone he can only have them work 4 hours a week. It's absurd what he has to put up with from his company. As well as quarterly secret shops - which if they miss saying hello to the secret shopper the automatically fail. All of that in a store mobbed at christmas time, understaffed. If he fails he gets put on final warning. He literally has to rely on some 8 dollar an hour underpaid worker not fucking up and forgetting to say hello, or missing someone in a sea of people who all want help.....it is a nightmare for him and really stressful.

by Anonymousreply 77November 15, 2015 12:54 AM

Work at Gap!!!!!

by Anonymousreply 78November 15, 2015 1:04 AM

Just today I sat and watched this middle aged couple run the poor waitress ragged,and they were snide and rude as hell about it. My very 1st job was a waiter at a Pizza Hut,and for about 10 years after that I waited tables. I worked everything from low brow to high end,and rare was the customer who annoyed me. I couldn't begin to imagine waiting tables today,people have gotten so nasty its got to be a miserable job. I wouldn't last five minutes now.

by Anonymousreply 79November 15, 2015 1:13 AM

When the American worker has tired of the total lack of respect on top of the shit wages they will ORGANIZE, unionize, and advocate for themselves. Until then they should quit bellyaching, because the misery is going to continue!

by Anonymousreply 80November 15, 2015 2:00 AM

Mr. Humphries, are you free?

by Anonymousreply 81November 15, 2015 2:09 AM

The only reason the US ever had such relatively high pay for rather menial work was because most of the rest of the world was living in squalid conditions in abject poverty. There is absolutely an equalization taking place in the standard of living for poorer Americans and the SOL of people living in poorer nations. No amount of hand wringing or shouts "bring back the jobs" will change that. And why would you think that Americans deserve more than anyone else?

This is clearly going to be a massive issue when 50% of the population's labor is unnecessary .

by Anonymousreply 82November 15, 2015 3:52 PM

The geezers, btw, on social security and Medicare just had an increase in their healthcare costs of an additional $60.00 per month without a correlative COLA adjustment in their SS benefits. WTF isn't the press all over this? I despise that our politicians pull this shit. No wonder everyone hates them. May they all drown in their greed and stupidity.

by Anonymousreply 83November 15, 2015 4:06 PM

Retail mostly gets it wrong. They pressure their managers to meet unrealistic payroll, unrealistic sales goals and all while trying to hire staff at wages far below what others are paying. The starting wage at Costco is 11.50 an hour and that is not including overtime. Their average working makes 21 dollars an hour, gets health insurance, 401k and profit sharing..........

by Anonymousreply 84November 16, 2015 11:26 PM

Retail used to be a job that could support a family, but fast food never was modelled for more than high school kids hoping to save for a car stereo. But retail adaopted the fast food model, and immigrants ran to make careers of jobs once set up for 17 year olds living at home, and we are now feeling the effects of this.

Good.

by Anonymousreply 85November 17, 2015 12:11 AM

R6 needs a good kick in the mouth.

by Anonymousreply 86November 17, 2015 2:18 AM
by Anonymousreply 87November 17, 2015 3:15 AM

Okay..time to up the pay to 15 or MORE retail.

by Anonymousreply 88November 17, 2015 12:25 PM

R85, for the most part, retail was not a family supporting job. One person could live very modestly in a studio apartment, but it was not a family supporting job. There were exceptions. Salespeople in the shoe department were unionized. They did make a good living. Similarly, the commissions on men's suits were high enough to make a family supporting living. Note that these are sales jobs that most often were held by men. Even women selling women' suits and gowns made less. Just an ordinary sales clerk at the perfume counter did not make a family supporting living.

by Anonymousreply 89November 17, 2015 12:35 PM

I have a masters degree in theater ("whatever that is") and make well into six figures. The masters has helped more than my more serious bachelors degree because employers often have requirements for an MA/MS regardless of discipline. So now I can afford theater tickets.

by Anonymousreply 90November 17, 2015 12:46 PM

With the labor force participation rates dropping like a stone, it looks like people have worked out that it's simply not worth bothering with a $9ph casual job.

You might as well declare yourself a authentic splodgeware artisan, build a tiny house, start a permaculture garden and sell the splodgeware, veggies and a spot of organic permaculture weed at the farmer's market.

by Anonymousreply 91November 17, 2015 12:53 PM

Retail is now competing not only with each other but with local governments and overseas as well.

The profit margins for most high end to low end shops has always been slim. (Only luxury end shops like Saks have decent profit ratios).

Now you add to the fact you must compete against the Chinese who can ship their products and it's hard to compete. This isn't government where your workers can treat people like shit and get away with it. You have to employ nice people who are productive with little pay.

The whole retail model will have to change. Unions will have nothing to do with it, mainly because it's not a matter of more money. There isn't any. If you raise the wages, the stores close and people buy the same exact thing online and get it shipped.

by Anonymousreply 92November 17, 2015 5:25 PM

[quote] Salespeople in the shoe department were unionized. They did make a good living.

Hah!

by Anonymousreply 93November 17, 2015 6:55 PM

High end sales people in luxury stores can make a living, a good one, with retail. I know a guy who sells men's suits at Saks, and he makes about 75K a year. It's commission based and his "clients" return to him repeatedly. But Saks is not cheap, though he is.

by Anonymousreply 94November 17, 2015 7:30 PM

R92 - So that's the solution to non-living wages? Be more polite to the wage slaves, so they are not tempted to quit... oh and don't let them unionise, and make frightening predictions about the end of the economy if they do get a wage rise.

How very paternalistic.

by Anonymousreply 95November 18, 2015 2:29 AM

Old people are the ones to blame for the type of economy we have these days because they're the ones who are voting Republican.

by Anonymousreply 96November 23, 2015 1:13 PM

No problem, there's another crash coming and they'll be lining up for blocks for even the shittiest jobs just like they did in 2008!

by Anonymousreply 97November 23, 2015 1:16 PM

r91, more like they'll start growing hydroponic pot in their basements and stealing dogs and cats to sell to dogfighting rings.

by Anonymousreply 98November 23, 2015 1:18 PM

There should be a Stealth Black Friday Movement. When news cameras go to stores to record the Black Friday madness, there should be people in the crowd who shout "FUCK TARGET UP THE ASS! FUCK WALMART UP THE ASS! FUCK CORPORATE AMERICA RIGHT UP THE ASS!" They should rip off their jackets and have FUCK CORPORATE AMERICA tee shirts on.

by Anonymousreply 99November 23, 2015 1:31 PM

R99 : GREAT idea.

There is another category where wages and benefits (mostly nonexistent or worthless) are just as crap as retail & fast food: caregiving, for elderly, disabled, dependent adults, etc.

One can choose to stay out of/away from retail or fadt food, but so many will become dependent on the good graces of a low-paid caregiver to survive. Ever-changing caregivers as they move on to other better situations...as their work is not valued in "the market".

by Anonymousreply 100November 23, 2015 3:18 PM
by Anonymousreply 101June 22, 2019 5:19 PM

Whoever made the comment about the interview process being like the CIA lol 😂 so true. I’ve been a teacher and worked a corporate job, and neither had as grueling an interview process as Nordstroms and Bloomingdales. I had a drug test, background checks, three or four interviews with different managers, even an IQ type test that took two hours to complete. Then there were several days of training and anti-union propaganda films, as well as the “what to do in a shooting” training. All this for eleven dollars an hour and 2% commission. Every time you leave for the day, they search you for stolen goods. It’s one humiliation after another.

by Anonymousreply 102June 22, 2019 6:43 PM
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