U.K.'s William Morrison Supermarkets to Add 5,000 Jobs

William Morrison Supermarkets PLC said recently that it will create more than 5,000 jobs this year, increasing its work force by about 4%, as part of the U.K. supermarket chain's store-expansion plan. There should be no shortage of applicants, given the growing number of people losing their jobs in the U.K. as a result of the credit crunch and economic downturn. Morrison, one of the UK's biggest grocers, operates 382 stores across the country and has a work force of 117,000 people. It said the jobs will be created across the board in a variety of positions, such as its Market Street counters selling fresh food. Morrison also said it will train 18,000 employees in the first year of a new training program. Grocers, discounters and online players have fared better than the industry as a whole in the economic downturn, while sellers of furniture, clothing and electrical goods have been hit the hardest. Sofa retailer Land of Leather PLC became the latest retail casualty of the struggling economy recently, when it was placed in administration. The company said it had made every effort to reduce costs and conserve cash, but was hit by "lack of consumer spending on bigger-ticket retail purchases." About 27,000 jobs were lost as result of the demise of general-merchandise retailer Woolworths PLC after its administrator failed to find a buyer for the company. So far, 178 jobs have been lost at DVD, CD and videogames retailer Zavvi U.K., which is also in administration. Food, clothing and housewares retailer Marks & Spencer Group PLC recently announced it was cutting 1,230 jobs and closing 27 stores as part of its cost-cutting plans. But not all retailers are feeling the pain. No-frills general-merchandise retailer Poundland said that it will create more than 1,000 jobs this year as a result of the opening of 30 new stores. Supermarket operator J Sainsbury said it will create up to 4,000 jobs this year as it posted a better-than-expected 4.5% rise in same-store-sales, excluding fuel, for the fiscal 3rd-Q ended Jan. 3, underpinned by its best Christmas results to date.