Demand increasing among workers for retail, transportation roles
Retail job applications are increasing, but openings and hires aren’t on the same trajectory.
According to the iCIMS Insights October 2024 Workforce Report, job applications in the retail sector are up 70% since September 2022 and 15% from last year. Despite increased interest from workers, retail openings and hires are down from two years ago, falling 25% and 23%, respectively.
While retail openings lagged behind applications, the transportation industry saw a 15% uptick in job openings since last September, which iCIMS says could be good news for online shoppers waiting for their holiday packages to arrive. While applications are up 35% from September 2022, hiring is down 17% over the same period of time and remains consistent with last year's levels.
[READ MORE: Retail sales show small improvement in September]
Gen Z made up the largest pool of retail and transportation applicants by age, and the bulk of applicants for both segments were under 35. Despite older workers coming out of retirement, only 11% of retail and transportation applicants in September were over 54. Full-time job openings grew 5% between September 2023 and September 2024, while part-time openings only grew 1% higher during the same period.
"All eyes continue to focus on the labor market, with iCIMS data showing overall job openings at a higher level than last September, with applications holding steady and hires down," says Rhea Moss, global head of workforce and customer insights, iCIMS. "Yet, key industries impacting the holiday shopping experience show job seeker demand far outweighing openings and hires. To give shoppers the service they've come to expect, employers must have their staffing in place."
Additional insights from the survey of 1,000 U.S. adults include the following:
- Eighteen percent of respondents plan to shop in-store this holiday season, while 25% plan to only shop online. Nearly six-in-10 (57%) consumers are planning for a combination of both.
- More than seven-in-10 (72%) of adults prefer part-time seasonal work over full-time seasonal work. Female adults were more likely to choose part-time seasonal work (79%) compared to 65% of male adults.
- A majority of adults (67%) said that competitive pay was the top factor when looking for seasonal roles, followed by employee discounts (50%) and a pleasant work environment (53%). However, many job applicants are concerned about inconsistent hours or scheduling conflicts (53%), inadequate compensation (42%) and high workload or stress levels (46%).
