160,000 part-time jobs could be lost over next three years, warns British Retail Consortium

The British Retail Consortium has warned that up to 160,000 part-time jobs in the retail sector could be lost over the next three years as a result of the rising costs of employment, driven by measures announced at the last Budget.

Retail remains the largest private sector employer, with the industry and its supply chains accounting for more than a third of local jobs in 20% of Parliamentary constituencies.

There are currently more than 1.5 million part-time jobs in retail, accounting for a little over half of all retail jobs.

This includes students making extra money during their studies, parents working around childcare, and seasonal workers providing vital support during the peak trading periods.

Rising employer National Insurance Contributions and the National Living Wage will add £5bn to retailers’ labour costs in 2025 alone, putting pressure on the industry to cut back on employment.

Part-time roles are particularly susceptible to the upcoming changes in the employer NICs thresholds, with retailers set to be taxed for any employee earning more than £5,000 – down from the current level of £9,100.

These effects would be compounded by some of the proposed changes under the Employment Rights Bill, which could force firms to reduce the number of local, flexible jobs.

This would have the biggest impact on part-time workers, including seasonal and student jobs.