Australia's retailing sector is the largest single industry of employment, with more than 1.2 million workers. It is characterized by high levels of part-time and casual employment; a young work force, including many young people still in full-time education; and employment widely distributed geographically. Over the past 10 years, employment has grown quite consistently and above the average for all industries. Retailing provides jobs for 51 percent of all teenagers in the work force. It has 43.2 percent of its occupations in the relatively unskilled elementary clerical, sales, and service group and a further 6.9 percent in the unskilled laboring and related category. Retailing has the closest balance of the sexes in total employment among all 17 industries divisions. It employs relatively more older workers than other industries. Retailing has a relatively low proportion of government vocational education and training (VET) funds targeted at it, despite being a major destination of employment for new graduates. Retailing employers are less satisfied with VET provision than those in most other industries. Technical and further education graduates working in retailing tend to rate the quality of their course quite high but its relevance quite low. Retailing employers spend less than all other industries except one on structured training for employees. In recent years, it has been the major employing sector for apprentices. (Appendix includes six tables.) (YLB)