As the holiday shopping season approaches, Americans are poised to indulge in a shopping frenzy, yet many retail employees find themselves grappling with the harsh reality of unaffordable housing. While consumers are set to spend generously, those behind the cash registers and store aisles face a different story.

According to a recent analysis by Redfin, the average retail worker earns a modest $34,436 annually. This figure falls significantly short of the approximately $71,000 needed to comfortably afford the rent for a typical apartment. This stark disparity highlights the financial challenges faced by those in the retail sector.

In practical terms, a retail worker would need to clock around 83 hours each week just to manage the current average rent of $1,779 while keeping housing expenses within 30% of their income, the standard threshold for affordability.