More people have been able to find work in the retail industry recently, according to one recent report from Kronos.
The Kronos Retail Labor Index, prepared by Macroeconomic Advisers, found that during August there had been gains in both retail applications and hiring. The research looked at 18,362 different retail stores and found that 34,776 new workers were brought on board. In all, there have been 280,940 new staff members hired this year, a 6.5 percent increase from the same time last year.
While the index declined two-tenths of a percentage point to 3.9 percent, there are signs that the sector is making progress from just a few months ago.
"The Kronos Retail Labor Index slipped two-tenths to 3.9 percent in August, reflecting a strong rebound in applications that outpaced a moderate increase in hires," said Chris Varvares, senior managing director and co-founder at Macroeconomic Advisers ."Both gains were from levels in July revised significantly higher. While this was the second monthly gain in applications, the downward trend appears intact, suggesting less competition for those seeking retail positions than at this time last year."
The sector could help the millions of people in the United States looking for work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate stands at 8.3 percent nationally.
Content provided by executive search organization, MRINetwork.