A commonly forgotten segment of the grocery industry is food handling. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 300,000 grocery store workers can be classified as food handlers. With regulatory guidelines constantly changing, the amount of grocery store workers seeking a food handler card is ever increasing. Areas such as Orange County, California require that all grocery store workers (regardless of position in the store) obtain a food handler permit. Because of this, the need for food safety training in retail is becoming a major need.
So who are grocery workers? Here’s a brief rundown of the average grocery store employee involved in food preparation and service.
Mean hourly wage: $10.16
Required education: Less than high school
Required experience: None
Percentage of total grocery industry employment: 1.3%
—Jeremy Howard
