Leading UK supermarket retailer, Tesco, have vowed to hire 20,000 more staff over the course of the next 2 years, with a particular focus upon employing young adults. The news was welcomed by the government as they have recently outlined a number of new policies to help get young adults and school leavers into the work place and reduce unemployment rates in this age bracket.
Tesco’s announcement of hiring 20,000 new workers comes in the wake of the recent PR disaster for the supermarket retailer after it was revealed that one particular store was offering unpaid work experience placements to young unemployed individuals.
The store was only offering benefits and expenses in exchange for the unpaid work, while those who pulled out of the placement would have had their benefits cut. Tesco found itself at the centre of a slave labour row as a result, although the ad was quickly dropped. The new jobs announcement is likely to help alleviate the recent negative press.
The 20,000 new staff who will be hired by Tesco over the coming two years will enable Tesco to offer the best shopping experience for its customers, the supermarket retailer claims. The new staff will allow for extra workers on the shop floor to assist customers during peak shopping periods and also offer greater expertise on areas of fresh food including the meat and fish counters.
Tesco remains the UK’s largest private sector employer with 290,000 employed across the country, including 70,000 aged under 25-years.
