Slower U.S. labor market could widen Lululemon’s hiring pool

U.S. payroll growth slowed to 57,000 in June and the unemployment rate held at 4.2 percent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics put the labor force participation rate at 61.5 percent, leaving more people on the sidelines even as employers continued to compete for reliable hourly workers.

For Lululemon, the most immediate effect is in the applicant pool. Leisure and hospitality lost 61,000 jobs in June and retail trade shed 7,500, increasing the odds that some candidates with customer-facing experience will look at specialty retail next. That can help educators and key leaders fill shifts ahead of busy periods, but candidates still compare pay, scheduling flexibility, manager quality and growth opportunities before they say yes.

7.1 million people were unemployed in June, 4.7 million were working part time for economic reasons, and 6.0 million people were not in the labor force but still wanted a job. Long-term unemployment was 1.9 million, equal to 27.3 percent of all unemployed people. For store leaders, there is labor supply in the market, but not necessarily a pool of people ready to take on weekend-heavy retail work without a clear reason to stay.

Lululemon's retail store teams create experiences in-store and online, and current postings include Educator and Part-Time Product Operations Educator roles. Those listings also include flexible schedules that can include evenings, weekends and holidays, the same hours that often make or break retention in mall and street-front retail. Some U.S. postings show pay ranges in the low to mid-$20s an hour, including one Educator listing at Pentagon City that advertised $20.50 to $25.59 an hour.

Average hourly earnings for total private workers rose to $37.64 in June, average weekly earnings reached $1,291.05, and average weekly hours held at 34.3. Lululemon surpassed $10 billion in annual revenue for the first time in its 2024 annual report.