A report presented by Eurofound shows that the transformation of the retail sector in recent years, due to technological innovations and the increasing dominance of large retailers, has affected career patterns, working conditions and employment status. In addition to this, the report illustrates a significant decline in the number of self-employed and a substantial increase in the number of part-time jobs and non-permanent contracts.

The comparative report ‘Working conditions in the retail sector’ published by Eurofound, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, and which covers the EU countries and Norway between 2001 and 2010, shows among other results, that over the past decade, employment in the sector increased from 17 million to over 19 million and it represented about 9% of total employment in Europe in 2010. However the report also shows a substantial increase in the number of part-time jobs and non-permanent contracts, and a significant decline in the number of self-employed. Recently, the European Commission published figures that showed that women earn in the EU an average of 16.4% less than men.

The considerable expansion of the sector is associated with changes in the regulatory framework, a transformation in its competitive structure and much greater use of technology, according to the report outcome. Also, the retail sector remains one of the main entry gates to the labour market for young people and a re-entry point for those who had left the labour market for personal reasons, such as women giving up work to look after their children. However, evidence shows that efforts are still needed to facilitate the transition of part-time and non-permanent workers to full-time and highly qualified job, says the report.

Work accidents in the retail sector are less frequent than in the overall economy. The main new risks are anti-social behaviour, from verbal abuse to physical violence and robbery by third parties, difficulties of reconciling work and life due to irregular working schedules and increased intensification following the introduction of ICT. According to Eurofound’s fifth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), 83% of workers in the retail sector at EU level reported they were well-informed about their risks at work and 86% considered their health and safety was not at risk because of their work.