Wal-Mart seeking 40% Part-Time Staff

Wal-Mart to use more part-timers, wage caps: NYT Mon Oct 2, 6:31 AM ET NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is pushing to create a cheaper, more flexible work force by capping wages, using more part-time workers and scheduling more staff on nights and weekends, The New York Times reported on Monday. [Yahoo News]

There are two things that the average American should take from this article. The first is that retail is slowly beginning to recognize that people work during the bulk of hours that they are open and are looking to shop when they are closed (this is a surprise?) and the second is that we are a replaceable commodity item when it comes to being employed. If this fact has not already sunk in, how long do you think it will be before the few full-time jobs in retail are completely eliminated. Unless there is a good reason a person has to be full-time (and management is the only one I can think of, which is also immune to unionization) it will not take long for most retail establishments to get rid of their full-time employees. If you think I am kidding, remember that where Wal-Mart leads, the rest of the industry seems to follow.