According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, national unemployment is the lowest it’s been in half a century, with the jobless rate dropping to just 3.7 percent. That’s fantastic news for job seekers looking to make their next big career move, but for companies of all sizes, it’s another story entirely.

Imagine this: You spot a job posting online for a position you’re so excited about that you tell everyone. Even your mom. You rush home after work to submit your polished resume with a perfectly crafted cover letter and then… you wait a few days, anxiously anticipating some sort of communication. But then days turn to weeks, weeks turn to months, and you finally resign to accepting that you won’t hear back from this company.

There’s been a lot said about where retail is going (guilty as charged), but less about where it is now. What do workers really think about the retail industry in 2018? How much money do they make? What do they love and hate about their jobs? Do they see a clear career path for themselves?  

Below, we take a look at the state of retail in 2018 – the good, the bad and the ugly; and what it all means for the stores looking to hire.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

With the warehouses hiring,

And everyone buying, you’ll be of good cheer.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Geoffrey the Giraffe’s gut-wrenching farewell photo in an empty Toys “R” Us store is the latest retail closure pulling at our heartstrings. With a variety of high profile stores calling it quits over the last few years, it’s no surprise that Nexxt’s recent survey of 1,100 retail workers shows that nearly 3 in 4 believe the traditional retail industry is dying. But do these feelings of doom and gloom from workers carry any weight? Or are they just exaggerated anxieties about a naturally evolving industry?

Welcome back to another week of Recruitment Roundup. Growing up, we’re told image doesn’t matter, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Well, when it comes to representing a company, image does matter. In fact, it’s one of the most important things. This week we take a look at how companies are dealing with image – both internally and externally. Hopefully these articles inspire you to take next week by storm! Happy reading, everyone.

What does a banker from Nigeria have in common with a food scientist from Mexico? A lot more than you’d think! Earlier this year, Nexxt worked with The Boston Consulting Group and The Network to survey over 350,000 people from across the world to understand the preferences of the global workforce and what that means for companies, and tangentially, recruiters. Read on for our top takeaways from the survey.

Welcome back to another week of Recruitment Roundup. This week, we take a look at unbelievable trends in the recruitment space. From landing a job while homeless to using a cartoon version of yourself to engage with candidates, this week’s reads might have you doing a double-take. Hopefully these articles inspire you to take next week by storm! Happy reading, everyone.

There’s no beating around the bush. “Out-source” is a dirty word that induces fear in the hearts and minds of customer service pros. In fact, more CSRs are concerned about out-sourcing impacting call center and customer support jobs than a robot automating their work.

Despite hectic holiday sales and irate shoppers, many customer service professionals love what they do. In fact, in a recent Nexxt survey of 2,500 customer service workers, 3 in 4 reported that whether in a retail or call center setting, the industry is rewarding to work in. Additionally, many respondents said they’re in it for the long haul – 44 percent have been working in the field for over 15 years!