Retail Full-Time Hiring Down, Part-Time Hiring Up in 2014 Second Half

Part-time hiring is expected to lead full-time hiring among U.S. retailers in the second half of 2014, according to a new survey from WorkInRetail.com.

Thirty-five percent of retailers plan to hire full-time, permanent employees from July through the end of the year, down from 39 percent in 2013 and 12 percentage points below the national average (47 percent). Those plans stand in contrast to the part-time workforce. Forty-five percent of retailers expect to add part-time help, up from 41 percent in 2013 and 18 points higher than the national average (27 percent).

The national survey was conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder and WorkInRetail.com from May 13 to June 6, and included a representative sample of 197 retail hiring and human resource managers across company sizes.

“Retail employment will shifting toward a preference of part-time hiring for the remainder of the year. What’s unclear at this time is whether this is a temporary trend or a structural shift in the face of changes to health care laws,” said Rob Morris, director of WorkInRetail.com. “Regardless, there is a distinct sense of optimism heading into the back half of the year, as increased consumer confidence appears to be affecting seasonal hiring plans positively.”

Other Key Survey Findings

• First-half full-time hiring: 43 percent of retailers hired full-time permanent employees in the first half of 2014, down slightly from 44 percent last year.
• Seasonal hiring could improve: Nearly a third of retailers (32 percent) expect to add temporary help in the second half of 2014, up from 26 percent in 2013. The increase could reflect greater confidence in the holiday shopping season, when seasonal work traditionally surges.