Retail is an industry of opportunity and advancement for people of all backgrounds. It is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 52 million working Americans.
The retail industry directly employs 12.8 million women. That’s more women than the finance and insurance industries combined, and more women than the entire public administration (government) sector.
Retail gives 37 percent of women their first start in the workforce, more than any other industry. We are an industry that supports career growth, with 62 percent of retail store managers and 72 percent of restaurant managers saying they reached their current position by “moving up the ranks.” What’s more, 45 percent of all front-line supervisors in retail are women.
Retail also encourages entrepreneurship among women. The National Retail Federation’s recent Small Business Owners’ Survey shows that women make up 61 percent of all new retail business owners. And whether they stay and grow in retail or transfer to other industries, retail provides valuable skills in the labor market; 71 percent of hiring managers recommend employees include retail experience on their resumes.
NRF proudly supports the women working to make retail the backbone of our nation’s economy, as well as those women in adjacent industries helping to tell their stories.
We are honored to sponsor the seventh annual Washington Women in Journalism Awards and celebrate our nation’s top female journalists. Congratulations to this year’s honorees for their excellent work: CBS’ Rita Braver, NBC’s Kristen Welker, Time’s Molly Ball and Politico’s Anna Palmer.
We look forward to continuing to support remarkable women who are making a difference.
