RETAIL ENVIRONMENT
Traditional retail jobs on the wane following pandemic
Almost 135,000 traditional retail jobs were lost during the pandemic, according to analysis from trade union GMB.
In 2019, the analysis found there were an estimated 1.2 million sales and retail assistants, retail cashiers, and check-out operators.
By 2021, that number had dropped to just under 1,075,000, according to the latest ONS figures quoted by GMB.
"The Great British High Street is being allowed to wither and die,” said Andy Prendergast, national secretary at GMB. “These are vital businesses that drive our economy and help our communities thrive.”
"GMB calls on councils and landlords to review commercial leases and offer lower rents - while our business rates system is archaic and no longer fit for purpose.”
He added: “Empty high streets and shopping centres that look like ghost towns are no good for anyone.”
The report coincides and contrasts with a report highlighting the shift towards technology roles in England and Wales that reached record highs in 2021.
The study, by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters and data analytics company Vacancysoft, found that there were more than 12,800 new vacancies for tech professionals last year. This represents a 105 per cent increase in comparison to 2020 and a 57.3 per cent hike compared to the previous annual high seen in 2018.
“More money than ever is flowing into UK tech,” said Tom Chambers, associate director, Robert Walters. “The sector raised £29.4 billion in 2021, up from £11.5 billion in 2020.
“The combined value of UK tech companies founded since 2000 is now £540 billion, after the biggest year-on-year increase since 2013/14.”
The report revealed that technology companies accounted for 53.8 per cent of all new IT vacancies in England and Wales, up 3.5 per cent year-on-year and almost 10 per cent higher than in 2018.
