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Retail has lost over 360,000 jobs in the past decade, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), further highlighting the difficulties the sector is facing.
The figures show there were 2.76 million jobs in retail in March 2025, while the four-quarter average, which smooths out the seasonal variations in hiring, showed 2.80 million jobs, 93,000 fewer than at the same point last year, and 364,000 fewer than in 2015.
On a four-quarter average there were 1.30 million full-time and 1.50 million part-time jobs. This indicates the number of full-time jobs is down 117,000 from 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 (BRC), 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%.”
She added: “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 10 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.”
