Where Bad Jobs Are Better: Retail Jobs Across Countries and Companies: Retail Jobs Across Countries and Companies

Retail is now the largest employer in the United States. For the most part, retail jobs are "bad jobs" characterized by low wages, unpredictable work schedules, and few opportunities for advancement. However, labor experts Françoise Carré and Chris Tilly show that these conditions are not inevitable. They investigate retail work across different industries and seven countries to demonstrate that better retail jobs are not just possible, they already exist. As retail and service work continue to expand, American employers and policymakers will have to decide the extent to which these jobs will be good or bad. By carefully analyzing the factors that lead to more desirable retail jobs, Where Bad Jobs Are Better charts a path to improving job quality for all low-wage jobs.