With job cuts across the UK, people in the grocery sector will take heart from our new Jobometer, which shows that more jobs have – so far, at least – been created than lost.
Since the beginning of December, when Woolworths announced the loss of 27,000 jobs, and despite job cuts resulting from cutbacks at Marks & Spencer and a number of manufacturers, the promise of new positions in 2009 is set to more than balance the books.
This week, Tesco announced it would create 10,000 new jobs this year and Morrisons matched a Sainsbury's promise last week to create 5,000 positions, mostly from store expansions and openings. This follows a pledge by Asda chief executive Andy Bond in December to create 8,000 jobs in 2009.
And it’s not just the Big Four. Iceland is to offer 2,500 jobs to some of the former Woolworths employees when it takes over 51 stores, and discounters Aldi and Lidl expect to create a further 2,700 new positions between them.
In total 34,630 new positions for 2009 have been announced, reveals the figures compiled by The Grocer, versus 32,285 job cuts in the same period. “The food and grocery sector is not recession-proof, but it is recession-resistant,” said IGD chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch. “Total food volumes will remain largely constant, but the mix is shifting. Inevitably there will be winners and losers, but the sector is built to last and will weather the storm.”
Union Usdaw said it was delighted by the new jobs proposed by retailers.
“These are really good news stories at a time when job losses, many in retail, are announced on an almost daily basis. Even though we are going through challenging economic times, it’s clearly not all doom and gloom on the retail high street,” said Usdaw general secretary John Hannett.
Supermarkets are also set to invest in existing employees. Sainsbury's said this week it has doubled the number of its graduate and summer placements this year, and Morrisons is offering 18,000 staff the opportunity to take part in a new training scheme.
Since the beginning of December, when Woolworths announced the loss of 27,000 jobs, and despite job cuts resulting from cutbacks at Marks & Spencer and a number of manufacturers, the promise of new positions in 2009 is set to more than balance the books.
This week, Tesco announced it would create 10,000 new jobs this year and Morrisons matched a Sainsbury's promise last week to create 5,000 positions, mostly from store expansions and openings. This follows a pledge by Asda chief executive Andy Bond in December to create 8,000 jobs in 2009.
And it’s not just the Big Four. Iceland is to offer 2,500 jobs to some of the former Woolworths employees when it takes over 51 stores, and discounters Aldi and Lidl expect to create a further 2,700 new positions between them.
In total 34,630 new positions for 2009 have been announced, reveals the figures compiled by The Grocer, versus 32,285 job cuts in the same period. “The food and grocery sector is not recession-proof, but it is recession-resistant,” said IGD chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch. “Total food volumes will remain largely constant, but the mix is shifting. Inevitably there will be winners and losers, but the sector is built to last and will weather the storm.”
Union Usdaw said it was delighted by the new jobs proposed by retailers.
“These are really good news stories at a time when job losses, many in retail, are announced on an almost daily basis. Even though we are going through challenging economic times, it’s clearly not all doom and gloom on the retail high street,” said Usdaw general secretary John Hannett.
Supermarkets are also set to invest in existing employees. Sainsbury's said this week it has doubled the number of its graduate and summer placements this year, and Morrisons is offering 18,000 staff the opportunity to take part in a new training scheme.
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