10 Biggest Myths About Retail Workers

[Igel]

5. It's the kind of summary lit review article that makes my head hurt.

So many details are lost in striving for the conclusion.

So take the first claim: average age is 37.

Yes. It is. But the distribution is skewed, so a disproportionate number of employees are under 28 and over 65. A smaller number in their 30s is working retail than you'd expect. The "average age is 37" is produced to show that the average employee age is younger in retail.

So the claim is true, but a very large percentage of the retail workers are younger workers. Which is what the stat is claiming to refute. Then again, there's that "who don't need the money," which simply isn't addressed. There's no good info in the source on need versus age, nor even a definition of "need" on which to base a claim.


Next claim: More than half of year-round retail workers contribute more than 50% of their family's total income.

Yes. 54% of (a) year-round retail workers (leave out temporary workers) (b) over age 20 (remember the age skew) who (c) work for large employees (leave out smaller, non-chain stores) contribute at least 50% of their family's total income (one wonders if this is just earned income--no definition provided).

With the caveats that were left out, is the claim still true? Doesn't matter. It's that kind of article. It preachers to the choir, who don't really much notice if the minister says he cites II Galatians or Matthew 30:12.

And on it goes.