Your Economy (No Politics)

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US retailers struggling to fill holiday jobs

Strategic Resource Group’s Burt Flickinger on how U.S. retailers are struggling to find enough workers to staff their stores before the holidays.

U.S. retailers, struggling to fill jobs for the holiday season, are offering extra perks to attract workers.

The retail sector is seeing a sizeable amount of job openings in 2018 with 757,000 available in July, an estimated 100,000 more than a year before, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of open jobs overall surpassed the number of people hired between March and June.

“They can’t get trailers, they can’t build ‘man and worker camps’ fast enough so it’s a boom across America,” Strategic Resource Group’s Burt Flickinger said during an interview on Varney & Co. on Tuesday.

Despite record-low unemployment and rising wages, the worker shortage has pushed retailers to offer higher wages and roll out perks like paid time off available to part-time employees to lure potential workers.

“Even with a number of retailers paying $12, COSTCO is paying $20 an hour and they pay benefits,” Flickinger said.

Macy’s announced plans to hire approximately 80,000 seasonal workers for its Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores, as well as call centers and distribution and online fulfillment facilities. The retail giant anticipates a strong holiday shopping season.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/us-retailers-struggling-to-fill-holiday-jobs