Even at the mall or a discount store, where women are courted and catered to, they are paid less than men. Women in US retail jobs earn on average $4 an hour less than men, or 72 cents for every dollar men make, according to a new report by Demos, a liberal nonprofit public policy organization. The overall pay gap for women in the US is around 80 cents.
Women, who hold 48.7% of US retail jobs, represent 55.4% of the low-wage jobs, Demos said. Last year, a report by insight agency 24/7 Wall St. found retail sales to be the second worst occupation in terms of pay gap, right after insurance: women in retail earn less, and are less likely to sell expensive, commission-generating items such as cars.