Retail employment declines as cost pressures mount
Responding to the latest statistics from the ONS High streets and retail areas in Great Britain, which shows retail employment falling sharply in high streets and shopping centres between 2015 and 2024, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Britain’s high streets are under strain, and the loss of employment opportunities make that impossible to ignore. Retail jobs on central high streets have fallen by almost a fifth in less than a decade, while employment in shopping centres has dropped by nearly a third. That is the steady loss of one of the biggest sources of jobs, everywhere in the country.
“Retail remains the UK’s largest private sector employer and businesses want to keep investing in high streets, creating opportunities for young people entering the workforce and supporting local economies. But the industry is facing a growing cost-of-doing-business crisis, with employment costs alone rising by more than £5bn last year.
“People across the country want to see vibrancy in our local communities. If government wants thriving high streets, it must start removing barriers that hold back investment. Business rates remain fundamentally broken, and the Employment Rights Act must be implemented in a way that protects flexibility and jobs – not puts them at risk.”