Retail jobs have dropped by 360,000 in the past decade, according to a new report by the Office of National Statistics.
There were 2.76m jobs in retail in March 2025, 93,000 fewer than the previous year.
The number of full-time jobs is down 117,000 since 2015, while the number of part-time jobs has fallen by 246,000.
According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), a further 160,000 jobs are expected to be at risk over the next three years.
“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,” said Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the BRC.
The trade body said the cost of employing 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,” added Dickinson.
“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.”
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