You're right, if this is the job that people want to work as a lifetime job. However, if you look at it as a stepping stone for something more, ie, time to work on a degree, a job as a teenager, an additional income, or a retiree wanting to get out of the house, it's great. I think people are missing the big picture here. Wal-Mart isn't a career- take care of your family kind of job, and those who look at it that way are near-sighted. It's a low-paying job because it doesn't require a large amount of skill.
I disagree. In many areas, WM is one of the highest paying private employers around. Additionally they like to promote from within, and hire locals. Because they get so many applicants they can afford to be choosy about who they hire. Where I used to live, when a Target openned it was staffed primarily with people from out of town, and WalMart rejected applicants.
And that's the American way.
Another way to look at it is that so many want to work and be producers. America, the land of opportunity.