By Ma Ma - Jan 30, 2025
Some retail shop owners stated that independent retail shops in the market have been reducing their ability to hire workers compared to before.
It is also known that this is due to the decline in retail sales.
"There were two workers in the past. One left to work in a factory. Since sales are not good anymore, I can only keep the remaining one. I can’t hire more workers. People ask if I am looking for employees, but the shop rent and capital costs have increased. I also cannot raise salaries since sales are not good. I can no longer hire as freely as before," said an independent business owner.
Currently, some shops are temporarily closing, while others are reducing their workforce as commodity prices have risen excessively and retail shops are also facing declining sales.
"Sales are not good. Shops like ours can only afford to pay around 150,000 kyats in salary. That is not enough for the workers either. However, even paying one employee is not easy for us. We could hire workers in the past, and I only needed to sit at the cashier. Now, I have to handle stocking and packing myself. I can no longer hire additional workers as sales decrease day by day. Their parents also prefer to send them to work in factories when workers reach a certain age," said a grocery store owner.
Crowds in the suburban townships of Yangon has significantly decreased from around 8 PM, After the enactment of the conscription law, as forced recruitment has increased, leading to a decline in sales for shops that operate late into the night.
"The cost of living has tightened, and there are fewer people around due to the current situation. Many shops are closing these days. Capital costs have risen even more. With no regular sales, along with shop rent and tax expenses, I can no longer hire workers. I am continuing the business with family members," said a phone and accessories seller.
It has been reported that municipal committees have also been imposing tax collection and pressuring small retail shops to obtain business licenses after the military coup.
Business owners stated that they have been forced to reduce their workforce and are facing difficulties in sustaining their businesses due to increasing shop rental fees, rising capital costs for goods, higher tax and service charges,
