I was there, remember?

And _I_ was working graveyard at $10/hour - pay that was extraordinary for Macy's. If it wasn't for the fact that I worked like a dog all the time, the job would have gone to the many others that wanted it.

1) X-mas help is part time business and filled by flex workers, high school/college kids that are not supporting families. Many of the others are second workers in a homestead. (as is my sis-in law and my niece in law).

Nope. By either those 'in' with the managers and were permitted overtime (NOT the norm) or by adults using these extra jobs to be able to survive. At least that's the way it was at Macy's.

2) Full time jobs at retailers do exist and do pay benefits. Not everyone is an hourly front-liner.

The ONLY jobs that paid anything more than a wage you could scrape by on were the managers above the sales managers. And THEY weren't rich.

3) Your estimates are a shade on the high side.

Not in my experience.

And it's gotten worse than when you got min wage in WVU. Hell, I wouldn't have believed how bad it is until I experienced it.

I only survived because I had good friends (you included!) that helped. I met people there that did not have friends better off than them. I've helped them when I could since.

The Christmas season and extra work that it provides is vital for the rank and file of America.