Times are tough for retail workers. Though NYC retailers had a pretty good holiday season, according to a new report the 242,000 grunts actually doing the selling on NYC store floors won't really be seeing the fruits of their labor. Especially if they have two X chromosomes or are not white. Though they make up the majority of the "frontline retail workforce" the report says that those groups "disproportionately face barriers to career advancement, benefits, and wage parity." And how!
1
Results tagged “employment”
How To Succeed In Retail Without Really Trying: Be A White Guy
200K Jobs Added In December, Unemployment Rate Drops To 8.5 Percent
The U.S. Labor Department released its monthly "Employment Situation Summary" today, and the stats from December have some financial analysts nearly giddy. "This is the real thing," Ian Shepherdson of High Frequency Economics tells the Times. "This is finally the economy throwing off the shackles of the credit crunch." Fly free, fledgling recovery, fly free! According to the government, 200,000 new jobs were created in December, and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.5 percent, down from a revised rate of 8.7 percent in November, and 9.1 percent in September. The numbers are better than some analysts had expected, and, when seen in the context of previous months' growth, could indicate an "upward trend."
People Working on Summer Fridays, We Salute You!
Hey there friendo, are you working today? As you can see, so are we! There's nothing unusual about this—Friday is, after all, part of a normal work week. But some abnormal bastards people have what are known as "Summer Fridays," which means they have the day off. Given the extreme heat, we're not too jealous, since the complimentary office A.C. is really coming in handy today. Nevertheless, if you do happen to be one of those individuals with Summer Friday privileges, please keep it to yourself. Making little tweets such as "First full #summerfriday of the season. Slept in, heading to get a mani pedi, brunch and then SoHo bound for some shopping. Perfect." don't make it any easier for us working class heroes with overgrown toenails and sleep deprivation.
Hipsters Need NOT Apply To Vinnie's Pizza In Williamsburg
Reader Sanford Santacroce (great name!) sent us this photo of a very specific "Help Wanted" sign spotted at Vinnie's Pizza in Williamsburg (home of the Tom Hanks garbage bin). Sanford wants to know, "Isn't this sort of thing an illegal/discriminatory/hilarious message that will perpetuate bad stereotypes between the old locals and the new locals? Their 'Slice Is Right' motto (on their website) uses the same font as the 'Price Is Right' TV game show so I guess some hipster irony is okay, just not enough to get you a job there ;)." While waiting for a state Labor Department spokesperson to respond to our inquiries about hipster discrimination, we got on the phone with Henrik Toncic, a co-owner at Vinnie's. And boy howdy did he share some hipster employee horror stories by way of explanation! Here's one that would put anybody off hipsters for life:
Tom Brokaw: Head Outside U.S. For Jobs
In an interview with BlogTalkRadio, Tom Brokaw relayed some advice to college grads: "I wouldn't be looking just within our borders for opportunities. I'd be looking to see what the chances are of getting a job in the Middle East, for example. Or in India. Or in China. I've talked to a number of very senior American executives who -- so much of their work now is offshore -- say one of the things they need are people who are willing to pack up and go there and become middle managers." Wait, is this a plug for a show on Brokaw's former network?
Pfizer May Have to Repay NYC Millions In Tax Breaks
After receiving millions in tax breaks from the city to create jobs, Pfizer is planning "to lay off or relocate up to 1,400 New York City employees," the NY Times reports. A government official told the Times that 800-1,400 jobs would be gone, either through reduction or relocation.
Confirmed: U.S. in a Recession (Since Dec. 2007!)
The private research organization the National Board of Economic Research says its economists have confirmed the U.S. is in a recession--and has been in on since December 2007. The Daily News adds, "What will they tell us next - that oxygen is good for the lungs?!"
Fresh Direct Workers Vote Down Union
Employees at FreshDirect’s Plant Operations warehouse voted overwhelmingly against unionization over the weekend. Given options of joining either the United Food & Commercial Workers, the Teamsters, or no union at all, 80 percent of the employees voted “no union.” The vote comes in the midst of an ongoing labor crisis at the warehouse; over one hundred undocumented workers were forced out earlier this month as FreshDirect announced an imminent inspection by Immigration and Customs Enforcement [I.C.E.].
Fresh Direct Exit
Approximately 85 undocumented workers are being fired from the high-end grocery delivery company Fresh Direct on the on the eve of the holiday season because their status as U.S. residents is disputed. Dozens of workers filed out of the company's Queens warehouse. Fresh Direct blamed a federal probe for the axing of almost a hundred workers. According to the Daily News, "management insisted it carried out the purge under pressure from federal authorities to crack...
City Council Paychecks Scrutinized
The City Council's Committee on Government Operations met this week to talk about possible changes to how much money council members make. Questions were raised about how raises were determined, leadership bonuses, and whether outside work should remain permitted. After a 25% increase in base pay in 2006, council members earn $112,500 annually. They can earn an additional $10,000 a year on average if a member holds a leadership position. In addition, members can hold...
« Previous
1
Next »
send a tip
tips@gothamist.comsubscribe
Use an RSS reader to stay up to date with the latest news and posts from Gothamist.