Retail Loss Prevention Officers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Retail Loss Prevention Officers detect and investigate shoplifting, fraud and other unlawful acts of employees or customers in retail establishments.
Tasks
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Detects and investigates theft and other unlawful acts carried out in retail establishments.
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Apprehends offenders and calls police.
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Prepares reports.
Characteristics
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Informal or on-the-job
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Administrative
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Enterprising
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Light
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Security Officers and Guards, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 33% of people employed as Retail Loss Prevention Officers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 33 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 43 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.
Industries
Main industries
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Most Retail Loss Prevention Officers work in the Retail trade industry. They are also employed in industries like:
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Retail Loss Prevention Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 29.5 | 31.6 |
VIC | 28.3 | 25.6 |
QLD | 19.7 | 20.0 |
SA | 8.8 | 7.0 |
WA | 10.3 | 10.8 |
TAS | 1.2 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.3 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.9 | 1.9 |
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Around 65% of Retail Loss Prevention Officers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
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The median age of Retail Loss Prevention Officers is 42 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.
Females make up 61% of the workforce. This is 13 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Retail Loss Prevention Officers | All Jobs Average |
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15-19 | 13.6 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 9.4 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 15.9 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 15.2 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 18.0 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 11.4 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 8.8 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 7.8 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 42 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Retail Loss Prevention Officer. Although some workers have a certificate II or III in security operations.
Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Property Services and Public Sector VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Retail Loss Prevention Officers | All Jobs Average |
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Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 3.0 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 7.6 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 12.4 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 16.1 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 27.6 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 8.0 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 25.5 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Security Officers and Guards who can connect with others, are trustworthy, responsible and reliable.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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52%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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52%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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50%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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50%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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46%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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46%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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45%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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45%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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43%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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43%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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43%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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43%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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41%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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41%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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41%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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39%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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39%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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39%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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39%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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37%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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64%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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62%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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60%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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59%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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57%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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56%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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55%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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53%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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52%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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47%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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43%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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36%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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32%
Production and processingRaw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
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31%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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28%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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27%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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26%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
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26%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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22%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
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22%
MechanicalMachines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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52%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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52%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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52%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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50%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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50%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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48%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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48%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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45%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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45%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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45%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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45%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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45%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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43%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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43%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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43%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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39%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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39%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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37%
Speed of recognitionQuickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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32%
Finger dexterityPut together small parts with your fingers.
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30%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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76%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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75%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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75%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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75%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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74%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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73%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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69%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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69%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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68%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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68%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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66%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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65%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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58%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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56%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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53%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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53%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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46%
Checking for errors or defectsInspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
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46%
Providing office supportDoing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.
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45%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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44%
Guiding and directing staffGuiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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86%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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86%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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48%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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48%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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24%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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24%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
Values
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76%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
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67%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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67%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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67%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
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62%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
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52%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Demands
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95%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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95%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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95%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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91%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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91%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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90%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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88%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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86%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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85%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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83%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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82%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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78%
Health and safety of othersTake responsibility for the health and safety of others.
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78%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
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77%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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76%
Repeating same tasksRepeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
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75%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
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73%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
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71%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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71%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
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70%
Consequence of errorWork where mistakes have serious consequences.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 33-9099.02 - Retail Loss Prevention Specialists.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
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Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.