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Apple's retail staff increased 44 percent from September 2007 to December 2007. Over the past two years, the retail division's staff numbers have risen between 2 and 15 percent per quarter. The company now has 11,400 "equivalent" full-time retail positions. At this year's shareholder meeting, head of Apple Retail Ron Johnson pegged the number of retail employees at 15,000, indicating that a huge percentage of them are considered "part-time."

As a former Apple Retail employee, this jibes with what I experienced. At my store, there were only a few full-time employees and most of us were part-time — mostly so Apple wouldn't have to pay us any benefits. That's right: Steve Jobs is a cheapskate. Even Starbucks gives part-time baristas health insurance. At least I got a discount — and a free iPod. Who needs healthcare?

(Photo by AP/Elise Amendola)