Retail jobs in Scotland hit decade-low, Labour analysis reveals – Scottish Business News

Recent analysis by Scottish Labour indicates that retail jobs in the country have plummeted to their lowest level in at least a decade. The findings paint a grim picture of the retail sector’s struggles, with thousands of jobs lost in just the past year.

According to the analysis, more than 10,000 retail jobs in Scotland were lost in the span of a single year.

Data sourced from the Scottish Government’s Business in Scotland report reveals that employment in retail has fallen to its lowest level since at least 2010, with current figures at 235,920, down from last year’s 246,270 and 258,900 in 2010.

The drop between 2023 and 2024 alone saw the loss of nearly one in every 20 retail jobs.

The party has condemned the government for failing to offer rates relief to retail businesses, highlighting that although Finance Secretary Shona Robison announced a 40% rates reduction for the hospitality industry during her recent budget, this advantage was not extended to retail. Labour is calling on the government to emulate England’s approach and implement the tax reduction for the retail sector as well.

Daniel Johnson, Labour’s economy spokesperson at Holyrood, said: “As Scots head into town for Christmas shopping and Boxing Day sales this winter, the decline of our high streets is impossible to ignore.

“Retail jobs are disappearing at an alarming rate and town and city centres are being hollowed out, but the SNP has no plan to reverse this decline.”

“We need a real plan to support retail and breathe fresh life into Scotland’s high streets – including short-term rates relief and a long-term plan to level the playing field between local businesses and online giants.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Budget 2025-26 delivers a competitive, non-domestic rates regime including a freeze to the Basic Property Rate delivering the lowest such rate in the UK for the seventh year in a row and maintaining the lowest property tax rate in the UK for over 95% of non-domestic properties in Scotland.

“The Budget also provides a package of reliefs worth an estimated £731 million, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme which is the most generous of its kind in the UK.”

“We estimate that around half of the properties in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors will continue to be eligible for 100% Small Business Bonus Scheme relief in 2025-26.”