Retail jobs declining as pressure mounts on supermarket sector
The number of staff per store on the high street slumped to a record low in the third quarter of the year, as troubled supermarkets overhauled their management structures to reverse sliding sales.
The equivalent number of full-time jobs fell by 1.3 per cent between July and September, even as the number of stores increased by 2.9 per cent, data released today by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Bond Dickinson showed.
The fall contrasts with official labour market statistics showing overall unemployment in the UK falling to six per cent.
BRC director general Helen Dickinson said: “Consumers’ preference for convenience top-up shopping, greater competition within the grocery market and the impact of online is changing the grocery store model while operating costs continue to rise.”
Asda recently announced plans to cut 1,360 jobs in reaction to changes in the sector and the shift online.