Expanding The UK Economy Through More Retail Jobs

There were 3,400 more full time? retail jobs in the UK in the first quarter of 2011, compared to the same three months in 2010, according to? research published last year.

The Retail Employment Monitor from the British Retail Consortium, and law firm Bond Pearce, found that the number of retail outlets grew by over 5.3 per cent during the same period.

Data from the study indicates that food retailers were the most confident about investing and creating jobs, and this was backed up by recent announcements by grocers such as Sainsbury?s, Co-op and Waitrose, all of whom were planning to expand in 2011.

So what about 2012? The Local Data Company reported its monthly barometer of shop vacancies had jumped to 14.6% in February after steadying last year at 14.3%.

So that was a good sign, with a 0.3% increase.

The trouble seems to be that with all the doom and gloom talked about on news programmes daily, customers are refusing to lift sales figures enough for their to be a sustantial increase in retail employment. Although we are seeing small gains, we are not seeing enough to offset the huge unemployment figures we see. Over 2.5 million in the Uk.

What can be done then to try and pick up the retail sector, that suffers more and more run down high streets every day? How can we get this massive employer growing enough to increase employment in the retail sector enough to start making a big dent in the countries unemployment statistics? I have two simple solutions, that would have a great deal of benefit long term for this sector.

1.

I would reduce VAT by at least 5%. This would increase the amount of stuff people could buy, and therefore increase the amount of people required to work in the sector. The government would of course take the hit of several billion, but you will have more people working and paying tax through the private sector. I think retail businesses would grow rapidly, and the only loser would be the government with loss of VAT revenue. I am sure they could think of something to cut by the amount they are losing that is not as valuable as having jobs for a large amount of unemployed people on the dole.

2. You have to promote more zero hour contracts. This allows companies to let staff go when demand is too low to support their employ. It is already a legal way to emply people, so why not get more companies using it? Staff would not have so much job security, yet there would be a larger amount of jobs for them to go into should they have to find work elsewhere. They could also take better paid jobs without having to offer notice, which would work in their favour ahead of their employers, so it really is swings and roundabouts.

You are never going to have perfect conditions for both workers and employers, and the governemnt can't keep harking on about getting more growth, whilst it refuses tax cuts. The call to reduce employment red tape is already out there, it just needs to be promoted to companies and the work force alike. The future of retail depends on the UK being responsive to the change in the consumer marketplace. The government must acknowledge this and act accordingly. Get retail growing, and the jobs in retail will also start to flourish. Once this happens you just watch the rest of the economy bloom. Isn't that what we are all looking for in 2012?

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