UMass Research on the Changing Retail Workforce

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts, including Dollars & Sense associate Chris Tilly, have completed a national study, “The Changing World of Work in US Retail Trade.” The researchers conducted 18 case studies of employees in food and consumer electronics retail businesses, focusing on recent transformations in the retail sector and their consequences for the low-wage workforce.

You can read more about the research at the Center for Industrial Competitiveness at UMass Lowell.

If you’re in the Boston area, the authors of the study will be discussing their research on April 30 at UMass Boston. Details below:

Center for Industrial Competitiveness -UMass Lowell
Center for Social Policy – UMass Boston

A panel discussion of findings from a national study
Wednesday April 30, 2008
8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
University of Massachusetts Boston
Campus Center – 3rd Floor – Ballroom C

As a sector, retail trade exemplifies the central dilemma of low wage work in modern economies. Giant retailer Wal-Mart is the largest US employer, and overall, retail is one of the largest employment sectors in the country. What happens to jobs in this industry, which is a major provider of entry-level jobs, is a key element of the broader picture of low wage employment nationwide.

Retail work is undergoing significant change in the United States. To explore these changes, and their impacts in terms of turnover, skill levels, and other key workforce variables, the authors conducted 18 case studies of food and consumer electronics retail businesses. They spoke to employees from top corporate executives to frontline employees, visited stores, and reviewed HR statistics.

The two study authors will present selected findings:

Françoise Carré, Ph.D. Center for Social Policy, McCormack Graduate School, University of Massachusetts Boston
and

Chris Tilly, Ph.D. Department of Regional Economic and Social Development, University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Discussants of the study findings will include: Prof. David Weil¸ School of Management, Boston University; and Joel Boone, Vice President for Labor Relations, Stop and Shop Supermarkets.

Event sponsored by the Center for Social Policy, J. W. McCormack Graduate School at UMass-Boston; and the Center for Industrial Competitiveness and Department of Regional Economic and Social Development at UMass-Lowell.

For more information, contact:
UMass Lowell: Center for Industrial Competitiveness / 978 934-2796 /
UMass Boston: Center for Social Policy / 617 287-5550 /