According to the latest report by the ONS there were 2.76m jobs
in retail in March 2025. The four-quarter average, which smooths
out the seasonal variations in hiring, was 2.80m jobs in March
2025, 93,000 fewer than at the same point last year, and 364,000
fewer than in 2015.
On a four-quarter average there were 1.30m full-time and 1.50m
part-time jobs. The number of full-time jobs is down 117,000 on a
decade ago. Meanwhile, the number of part-time jobs is down
246,000 over the same period.
Commenting on these figures, Helen Dickinson, Chief
Executive at the British Retail Consortium, said:
“Retail jobs have continued to fall, with 364,000 fewer jobs than
ten years ago. More jobs have been lost in retail in a decade
than exist across the whole of the fishing, car manufacture and
steel-making industries combined. And while factory closures have
quickly been met by promises of action, this wave of retail jobs
losses appears to go unnoticed by government.
“These new figures come days after the BRC published its 2025
Retail Jobs Report, highlighting the rising tide of employment
costs hitting the retail industry. The cost of employing people
for full-time entry-level roles has risen by 10%, while the cost
for part-time roles has increased by a massive 13%. This matters:
retail jobs are a vital part of the local economy right across
the country. From young people taking their first step into the
world of work, to parents and carers returning to the workforce
around other commitments, retail has flexible and local roles for
everyone. When we take retail jobs away, we do a disservice to
the local communities that rely on them.
“In the last ten years, almost 250,000 part-time roles have been
lost. The BRC has estimated that over the next three years,
160,000 more roles could be at risk. The Government has a clear
path to securing the future of these flexible and local jobs. It
must ensure the Employment Rights Bill tackles unscrupulous
employers without hampering employment opportunities offered by
responsible businesses. This will help the industry provide
routes back into work for those who need it - a win-win for
employees, employers, and the wider economy.”
-ENDS-
ONS jobs figures are reached by adding “Retail trade, except
of motor vehicles and motorcycles” of:
-
Jobs03: Employee jobs by
industry
-
Jobs04: Self-employment by
industry
Jobs03 data goes back to 1978, while Jobs04 data only goes back
to 1996. This means Total figures only go from 1996.
