Part 8/13:
Alarmingly, the jobs created by big box retailers are predominantly low-wage and part-time, often forcing employees to rely on government assistance programs like SNAP. This cycle highlights a harsher reality: not only do big box stores pay employees insufficient wages, they benefit from the subsidies that come from these programs, effectively shifting the burden of their low wages onto taxpayers. All the while, cities continue to incur costs associated with increased policing and social services linked to the proliferation of these retail giants.