// Employment in retail falls by 2.3% year-on-year in the 3 months to the end of June
// This marks the 14th consecutive quarter of decline
// Around 72,000 jobs have been lost compared with the same period last year
Retail employment in the UK has fallen by 2.3 per cent in the three months to the end of June, marking the fourteenth consecutive quarterly year-on-year decline.
The figures mean around 72,000 jobs have been lost compared with the same quarter last year, according to the BRC.
The number of hours worked in the sector fell by 2.5 per cent.
Meanwhile, stores growth slowed down to 1.7 per cent, compared to first quarter growth of 2.3 per cent.
“With a new Prime Minister and cabinet in place, there is a clear opportunity to rethink the high street strategy,” BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said.
“Business rates pose an unsustainable burden on shops and jobs, and we urge the government to provide immediate relief to retailers large and small in order to facilitate much needed investment in the digital and physical offerings they provide to their customers.”
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