Material recording clerks held about 2.9 million jobs in 2014.
Stock clerks and order fillers held about 1.9 million jobs in 2014. About 69 percent worked in retail trade, such as grocery and other general merchandise stores, and about 11 percent worked in wholesale trade.
Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks held about 670,200 jobs in 2014. About 28 percent worked in manufacturing, and about 24 percent worked in wholesale trade.
Production, planning, and expediting clerks held about 304,600 jobs in 2014. About 36 percent worked in manufacturing, and about 9 percent worked in professional, scientific, and technical services.
Material and product inspecting clerks held about 71,300 jobs in 2014. About 20 percent worked in administrative and support services, and about 18 percent worked in manufacturing.
Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks; production, planning, and expediting clerks; and material and product inspector clerks usually work in an office inside a warehouse or manufacturing plant.
Although shipping clerks and material inspecting clerks prepare reports in an office, they also spend time in the warehouse, where they sometimes handle packages or automatic equipment such as conveyor systems.
Stock clerks and order fillers usually work in retail settings and sometimes help customers. They move items from the back room to the store's shelves, a job that can involve frequent bending and lifting.
Work Schedules
Production, planning, and expediting clerks; shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks; and material and product inspecting clerks usually work full time. Some clerks work nights and weekends or holidays when large shipments arrive.
About 1 in 3 of stock clerks and order fillers worked part time in 2014. Evening and weekend work is common because they work when retail stores are open. They sometimes work overnight shifts when large shipments arrive or when it is time to take inventory.