In Christian Retailing's latest Vital Signs survey, 48% of supplier employees and 41% of retail workers said they were not sure if they would still have their jobs by year's end.

Among suppliers and service providers, 58% had seen workforce reductions in 2008, while 47% of retailers had experienced downsizing where they were.

But there was some cautious optimism, too. Suppliers and retailers alike said they are more hopeful now (37%) than they were on New Year's Eve, while 27% admitted to having less hope. The remainder said their outlook had not changed.

Looking ahead, many of the retailers reporting higher hopes were church stores with plans for expansion. Some responding retailers suggested that a weaker economy made books a better entertainment value, while some tied their hopes to practical steps they had taken such as newly negotiated leases with better terms.

Read the full report in the April 6 issue of Christian Retailing.