Studies show that employees, not traditional thieves, steal the most money and goods from stores. The United States Chamber of Commerce has estimated that about 75 percent of employees steal from their employers, and most do so repeatedly. The median amount of money lost per company is $175,000 US Dollars (USD) a year.
More facts about employee theft:
- The FBI has called employee theft the "fastest-growing crime in America," and it's estimated that 20 percent of every dollar earned by U.S. companies is lost to employee theft.
- Not all theft is direct — it's believed that companies lose $400 billion USD per year in productivity because of "time theft," i.e., loafing, working unproductively, taking extra long breaks and coming to work late and leaving early.
- Men are more likely to steal from their employers than women, and people who hold bachelor's degrees are more likely to steal than those with higher levels of education.