Explore how the US retail sector is navigating a period of structural reset. From generational workforce change to shifting consumer demand, discover the key trends shaping hiring, wages, and the future of retail operations.
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This report covers:
How retail employment has evolved since 2022, which segments are growing and which are contracting
Why Gen Z now dominates the retail frontline and how micro-shifts are changing how the sector is staffed
What's behind the gender pay reversal and what it signals about role differentiation in hybrid retail
Where retail growth is happening geographically, and the policy and regulatory forces shaping what comes next
Report sneak peek
The US retail sector has grown just 1% since 2022, but that flat number masks a sector quietly splitting in two. Personal and beauty services expanded steadily while home, hardware, and garden stores face sustained decline, exposed to import costs, tariffs, and the housing slowdown. Hiring activity averaged just 1.5% of staff, with the market cooling through vacancy restraint rather than job cuts.
The workforce has shifted just as significantly. Gen Z now makes up 45.6% of retail shift workers, up from 43.4% in 2024. The gender pay gap has reversed; female workers now earn $19.22/hr compared to $17.11 for men. And retail is the only major shift-based industry where worker sentiment declined in 2025, with "amazing" ratings dropping 2.5%. The sector is stabilizing, but the pressures are being felt on the floor.
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