Retail is at the forefront of the economic landscape during the holidays, in terms of both employment opportunities and consumer spending. Retail has been one of the strongest industries during the economic recovery, surpassing its peak of late 2007 employment by the start of 2015, and reaching almost 5 million more workers in the trade at its height in 2016. On CareerCast.com alone there are over 15,000 retail job opportunities.

Retail's growth in employment is partially reflective in the change in consumer habits. With Americans using social media more and more, opportunities to reach out to a captive audience exist in unique ways that were not existent even 10 years, and not abundant five years ago.

The retail industry offers diverse and abundant yearlong employment opportunities for those with the skills and inclination to get started. The proliferation of online shopping has made Online Sales Manager one of the top jobs in terms of salary growth potential, and one of the best jobs in retail, according to the 2017 Jobs Rated report.

The shift to online shopping also presents job opportunities in retail for other careers that might not be immediately associated with the industry. To wit, Multimedia Artists are invaluable for presenting products in an appealing manner – think of them as being responsible for the window display of the future.

Social Media Managers are also in high demand in retail. Retailers can drive shoppers to their web storefronts through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. These campaigns can be formulated through the interpretation of data collected through online shopping. Data Scientist is one of the best jobs according to the 2017 Jobs Rated report, in part because of its versatility; so many industries now use data science to improve their practices, and retail is one of the primary examples.

Then, helping to put the analytics into action, Market Research Analysts tie together numbers with evaluations of trends in consumer habits and response to campaigns.

Of course, the backend of the online retail space is equally important. Fulfillment of orders offers an equally diverse range of other job opportunities. Wholesale Sales Representatives and Logisticians are responsible for the business end of major transactions, while Forklift Operators see to the movement of goods.

Whether you shop online or in person this holiday season, remember when you see those decorations and hear those familiar tunes that the retail industry responsible is a cornerstone of the economy, with a wide-ranging variety of workers behind the scenes.