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Gloucestershire Business News

Fewer people employed in the retail sector

The number of people working in UK retail fell by 3.3 per cent compared to the same quarter last year.

Reductions in hours worked on both full-time and part-time contracts, according to the British Retail Consortium's employment monitor for Q2.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: "The second quarter of 2017 saw employment in retail fall as the tide of change continues to sweep through the industry.

"Technology, which is both transforming the way we shop and providing increasing opportunities for automation in retail, combined with a difficult market environment and policies that have increased the cost of employing people, such as the national living wage and the Apprenticeship Levy, are driving the industry towards fewer but more productive jobs.

"The pace of consolidation in the retail workforce has slowed this quarter compared to last.

However, there are further reductions to come. The transformation of the industry is still in progress and this quarter's data show that more retailers are intending to reduce their workforce in the coming months than at the same point last year.

"As ever, there are some retailers who are thriving and growing their workforce, although they are in the minority. Sixty-nine per cent of respondents to our survey saw employees work fewer hours in Q2 this year, compared to last, with reductions particularly acute amongst non-food retailers.

"With consumers seeing inflation squeezing their spending power, the challenges facing retailers will only increase in coming months; reinforcing the pressure on retailers to rethink and restructure their workforce."

Picture credit: Pixabay

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