Crain’s New York Business has the story on a new study of retail workers struggling to make ends meet in New York City.
The report, titled “Discounted Jobs: How Retailers Sell Workers Short,” surveyed 436 workers in jobs across the five boroughs, making it one of the most comprehensive studies to date on the industry’s workforce in New York.
It found retail workers are often paid poverty-level wages, rarely receive benefits, lack paid sick days, and many are forced to rely on government programs.
Some of the highlights findings:
A third of New York City retail workers support families on less than $10 an hour, and more than half rely on government programs for health care or simply live without it.
Nearly one-third of those surveyed supported at least one additional family member on their wages; their median income was $9.50 an hour.
Typically, retail has been considered an entry-level job, focused on younger employees or women who are also juggling family-raising duties. But more than 70% of surveyed workers had completed some college or possessed a college degree.
Read the full story from Crain’s New York Business: Retail workers struggle to make ends meet »
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