UK Retail Jobs Keep Falling, But at a Slower Pace

The CBI’s latest distributive trades survey shows retail headcount fell again in the year to August, with a further decline expected next month — and the figures point to continued pressure on job availability across Kent’s town centres.

Retail employment in the UK fell again in the year to August, though at a slower pace than in the previous period, according to a post by the Confederation of British Industry. The CBI’s monthly distributive trades survey — a closely watched gauge of trading conditions across retail and related sectors — also shows that headcount looks set to fall at a broadly similar rate next month.

The figures show that this is a slowdown in the pace of job losses, not a recovery. Official data from the Office for National Statistics adds weight to that picture: UK vacancies stood at 707,000 in May to July 2026, with wholesale and retail trade recording 7,000 fewer vacancies year on year. The Learning and Work Institute has separately identified retail and hospitality as recording the largest falls in employee numbers over the year.

For Kent, the numbers matter. The county has 828,521 Pay As You Earn employees according to ONS and HMRC regional data, and retail is a meaningful chunk of that total — chiefly in Maidstone, Canterbury, Ashford, Gillingham, Tunbridge Wells and Dartford, where shops, retail parks and shopping centres are among the larger local employers.

It’s part-time workers, younger people and entry-level jobseekers who tend to feel this kind of squeeze most directly. Retail has long been one of the more accessible routes into work, and sustained hiring weakness makes that route narrower — especially for seasonal and temporary roles.

Jobcentre Plus services and local employment support providers across Kent may face continued demand from people looking for alternatives if retail recruitment stays subdued. The CBI’s reading is that conditions are weak but not deteriorating as sharply as before — yet the ONS vacancy data suggests the broader labour market backdrop remains under pressure.