Skip to content
Apply
Stories

Looking for holiday season deals? Don’t forget to check the labor market.

People in this story

Photo by AP/Peter Byrne

Retailers are hoping that this holiday season will be the best ever—or at least the best one in the last couple years. But to do that, they’ll have to hire a lot of temporary workers, fast.

Part of the enticement equation is higher wages: Employee wages jumped by 1.5 percent during the third quarter, the biggest increase in 20 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As employers struggle to fill jobs, workers have the upper hand to demand better wages, hours, and work flexibility generally.

And, for teenage workers or people who have gaps in their resumes that make it more difficult to get hired, this summer’s retail surge may repeat itself, says Alicia Sasser Modestino, associate professor of public policy and urban affairs and economics at Northeastern.

Continue reading at News@Northeastern.

More Stories

US-Japan Alliance Resiliency Amid Risks

08.27.2024

Commentary: Summer jobs are back this year, but for how long?

08.26.2024

As food stamps turn 60, four reasons to celebrate

08.28.24
All Stories