Although one of the biggest times for hiring in retail careers occurs during the holiday season (generally from November to January), a large indicator for how many staffers a company can take on is the level of demand for products. Even during the bustling holiday season, the recession affected sales in many stores, resulting in a hiring lull.

A new study conducted by Kronos, a workforce management solutions company, revealed the relationship between retailer's supply and demand and hiring. The study found that for every 100 applications submitted, only 3.2% were hired for the month of January. This is down from 4.02% for the previous month.

In a sign of an economic turnaround, it was also found that the national retail hiring level for January 2010 was up 25% from January 2009, during the brunt of the recession.

"This month, an overwhelming increase in applications and a reduction in hiring by retailers drove the Index down 20.41 percent," Kronos economist Dr Robert Yerex said in a statement.

"Though this may seem bleak, the good news is that the hiring numbers in January 2010 are significantly higher than they were in January 2009, an encouraging sign that this year is getting off to a better start than last."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the largest employers in retail careers include clothing and accessories stores.