5,000 new jobs in store at Morrisons

Supermarket Morrisons gave a boost to Gordon Brown's jobs summit today by flagging up plans to create 5,000 jobs this year.

The Bradford-based group - the UK's fourth largest supermarket - currently has 117,000 staff across 382 stores.

Related articles

• Cameron: "New babies born with £17,000 debt"
• JCB cuts 684 jobs in latest blow
• £2,500 for employing long-term jobless
• Land of Leather shares suspended
• Threat to 420 frozen food jobs at Findus firm
• Social mobility role puts Milburn back on Labour front line
• Search the news archive for more stories

Morrisons said the plans were in line with its previously-stated target of increasing selling space by one million square feet over three years.

The supermarket added that the specific locations and nature of the new jobs had not been revealed.

But it said 18,000 of its staff would be working towards some form of qualifications under the company's Fresh Food Academy scheme.

These include NVQs in retail, full apprenticeships for butchers, bakers and fishmongers, and optional key skills training in maths and English.

Norman Pickavance, the supermarket's human resources director, said: "Even in these challenging economic conditions, Morrisons is committed to hiring and training new people to keep retail as the engine room of the economy and support our continuing growth."

Rival Sainsbury's also said at its Christmas trading update last week that the group would create 4,000 jobs this year.

And Iceland bought 51 stores from the administrators of collapsed retailer Woolworths last Friday with plans to create 2,500 jobs.