Retail Employment in November Rises 26% From a Year Ago -- Challenger

Retail employment in the U.S. grew 26% in November to 451,600, the highest November level since 2012, according to a Thursday report.

Challenger, Gray and Christmas Inc. said in its report, which analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics data, that the November gains indicate consumer demand at brick-and-mortar stores is high enough that retailers need to stock up their stores for the holidays.

But Challenger has also tracked 7,670 stores closures so far this year and thousands of related job cuts, including 10,000 at Macy's Inc. and 5,500 at J.C. Penney Co. Challenger said the continuing store closures could indicate December hiring will be below normal.

Write to Cara Lombardo at cara.lombardo@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 14, 2017 09:07 ET (14:07 GMT)