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Worst Retail Jobs In America


The New York Times has continued its expose of Apple's labor chain. Following its January report on horrific, and sometimes deadly, conditions at its Chinese factories, the paper last week turned its attention to a less obviously exploited workforce: the sales clerks and "geniuses" toiling in America's Apple stores.

The world's most valuable company, with a market valuation higher than than the GDP of Poland, which takes in more money per store square foot than any other retailer in the U.S., seems to be stiffing its staff, reports the Times. Peddlers of iPhones and iPads can sell as much as $3 million in merchandise annually. But these hourly workers earn an average of just $11.75 an hour, or less than $25,000 a year. With no commission.

But a gig at an Apple store remains one of the most sought after retail jobs. Fortune ranked Apple Inc. the world's most admired company last year, and the sellers of its products often have a sense of purpose beyond just moving merch. The benefits are apparently great, and the hourly salary is way above the minimum wage of $7.25.

So if many Apple employees feel unsatisfied and underpaid, how do other retail employees in this country fare? AOL Jobs looked up employee ratings of the 100 biggest retailers on Glassdoor.com, and these are the seven with the most brutal reviews.





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Claire Gordon

Claire Gordon

Claire Gordon has contributed to Slate's DoubleX, the Huffington Post, and the book Prisons: Current Controversies. While an undergraduate at Yale University and a research fellow at Yale graduate school, she spoke on panels at Yale and Cornell, and reported from Cairo, Tokyo, and Berlin. Follow Claire on Twitter. Email Claire at claire.gordon@teamaol.com. Add Claire to your Google+ circles.

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Jade

I also can't forget the pathetic 10% discount employees get!

November 03 2012 at 2:47 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jade

I'm so glad Forever21 was on here, I mean really! I just put my two weeks in here after working here for about 4 months. ( It's just that crazy) I didn't want to seem like an ungrateful person for leaving a job, but this place is hectic and completely unorganized and yet they expect nothing but the best and at a very fast pace. Plus the whole "fashion" thing is too much for me to even care about, some of us have expenses we have to spend our pathetic paychecks on, rather than on trendy looking clothes. Closing shift is horrific, and breaks are rare, this company has a lot to learn about how their employees work if they ever want to grow stronger.

November 03 2012 at 2:46 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
grifter913

WORST JOB??? Try Spirit Halloween, 1 level above slave wages and work. They will cut your hrs midweek on you if the sales are not up to par. While they make 75% markup on all this junk from China. The DMs are buffons and the managers are either drunks or people who couldn't get a real job....they ALWAYS mess up your check and tell you they will fix it,,,but God forbid you call out one day, they threaten you till no end. No benefits and they make sure that you don't qaulify for unemployment because they cut you off from work about 2 weeks too soon to collect. they are the gypsy's of retail and open stores without proper pernits and or inspections.They will have inspections set up for a tuesday and knowing that the inspectors don't work on weekends, they will open up to make a few dollars and close again on Monday. The big director who looks like a hairy monkey is banging the help and everyone knows it...loser has kids too...... for shame F.P. for shame!!!! This mickey mouse operation blows sunshine up everyone's butt and teases them that if they do good they could stay on year long with the parent company Spencer Gifts....they run that game every year and on everyone form the dms down....since everyone is temporary there....

July 02 2012 at 8:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
iahajr

You want to know the worse place to work - one of those photo studios that you see in the malls - or discount stores like Walmart and Kmart - they pay minimum wage - will only give you part time hours (anything less than 35 hours is part time according to human resources - then they expect you to book appointments every 10 minutes - do not have customer complaints, accept walk-ins - hand out photos and make resales - call and confirm appts - pull in floor sittings - fix equipmnt - climb ladders - deal with screaming childrn most of the time, and keep a smile to deal with the midgets.

July 02 2012 at 3:52 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
oneshottreetops

Worst Retail Jobs In America
Hey, where is the trickle down effect to the workers? Is this what Romeny is about?

July 02 2012 at 2:19 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
vona

its a shame here in america

July 02 2012 at 1:31 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
seattlewkr

What the hell are these employees eating and how many roommates do they have?

July 01 2012 at 9:54 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
terry

...geez, this is my big old fart chance to submit that i remember my very first 'raise' in pay was a NICKEL that proudly brought me to $1.55 an hour. i paid off a new car on that wage whilst going to college.

July 01 2012 at 8:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to terry's comment
iahajr

that was when gas was 30 cents a gallon too - everything cost less - including rent and food.

July 02 2012 at 3:47 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
sdowns1470

I worked at Ross Dress For Less for about a month and a half. The first week I worked three days from 8am-12 noon. I figured they were going to let me get used to working as I had not worked a paying job in my life before that. Then the second week, my hours were less than 50% of what I had the first week ( I had 5 hours total).

After that I did not work again for nearly a month. I inquired about it, but they said well, we have no hours for you. Then I got 7am-11am for two days and that was it. I then got a call for an interview of the current job I now have.

After I found out I had the job, I handed the manager at my Ross Dress For Less the resignation letter I typed earlier that day and left. He was not happy that I quit, but I do not regret my decision at all. They deserved what they got from me, I was supposed to work part time which meant about 30 hours a week give or take.

I was hired as holiday help at my current job, but they kept me on after Christmas 2006. I was intermittent, which meant I worked about 20 hours a week, unless they needed me more than that which was not often. Now I am part time and work 34 hours every week. I love it because I also work 5 days a week for that 34 hours.

July 01 2012 at 8:05 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to sdowns1470's comment
jona817

It's great to hear that you have kept a positive attitude. Good luck in your present and future endeavors.

July 01 2012 at 10:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
rbrtkyte

You forgot Wal-Mart and Goodwill

July 01 2012 at 6:43 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply

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