Written Question·Department for Business and Trade·UIN 84971

Retail Trade: Employment

Tabled: 24 October 2025

Answered: 3 November 2025

Question

Mr Louie French

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what was the change in the number of jobs in the retail industry between 2023-2024 and 2024-2025; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for the change.

Answer

Kate Dearden

According to ONS data, between 2023-24 and 2024-25, retail employment fell by around 94,800 jobs (-3.3%), from 2.9 million to 2.8 million [1]. This continues a longer-term downward trend in retail employment seen since 2016.The decline reflects structural...

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