According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Bond Pearce Retail Employment Monitor, in the second quarter of 2011 retail employment was down by 0.4% compared with the same quarter a year earlier – the equivalent of 3100 fewer full-time jobs according to the sample surveyed. During the same period the number of retail outlets grew by 4.5% – an additional 743 shops.
This is the first time the monitor has recorded three consecutive months of negative annual jobs growth. Comparing just June with the same month in 2010, the equivalent number of full-time employees fell by 0.7%. The fall in the number of jobs is heavily weighted towards non-food retailers, with both full-time and part-time employees working fewer hours compared with the previous year.
Looking ahead to the next quarter, 58% of the sample indicated that they would keep staffing levels unchanged in the next three months – the same as this time last year. A quarter of the retailers said they would decrease staffing levels, compared with 8% this time last year.
Stephen Robertson, BRC director general, says: “Most retailers continue to hold steady, and almost one in five still expects to increase jobs, but a growing number are having to limit hours and reduce staff – leaving overall retail employment down on a year ago. The split reflects the very different fortunes of retailers selling food – a must-have for customers – and those servicing discretionary and big ticket spending.”
Christina Tolvas-Vincent, head of retail employment at business law firm Bond Pearce, says: “Retailers are still weathering a significant storm and, while their confidence in terms of growth may have been tempered, the downward trend in redundancy figures shows a resilience and commitment to make it out the other side. Despite pressures on consumer spending, it is positive to see that there is flexibility in the retail workforce and, although fewer jobs are being created, they are being held onto wherever possible.
“Retailers are having to be fleet of foot and adapt to the changing landscape – and an uncertain outlook means this will continue to be important.”
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