E-Commerce Nonstore Retail Employment Gains Offsetting Department Store Employment Losses

Jobs, Skills and Training

A recent study on national and local trends in retail employment shows that the decline in employment at department stores has been offset by a concurrent rise in non-store retail jobs.  Since 2013, non-store retailers have added a net 100,000 jobs while department stores have lost 80,000.  "Of course, it is important to remember that the labor market effects of online retailing go well beyond the retail sector," the study states.  "A more thorough analysis would consider the indirect effects of e-commerce on warehousing, local freight trucking, and couriers and messengers—three industries that have seen fairly robust job growth in recent years."  Reports show that non-store retail jobs may pay as much as 26 percent more than general retail jobs.