Full-time retail employment was up 3.6% for the second quarter of 2010, compared with the same period last year, according to the BRC-Bond Pearce Retail Employment Monitor.
The survey showed that the increase in employment, equivalent to a net increase of 22,055 retail jobs, was driven by a 3% net annual increase in store numbers in Q2, translating to 486 additional retail outlets.

The latest figures confirm the retail sector continued to create jobs in June, with the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees up 3% year-on-year, with a net increase of 3.1% in store numbers. The creation of new outlets and jobs was heavily weighted towards the grocery sector, which continued to open new stores throughout the quarter, said the report.

The monitor also shows that 58% of retailers intend to maintain staff numbers in the coming three months, while one in three intend to increase employment. Only 8% of respondents intended to cut staffing levels over the next quarter.

British Retail Consortium director general Stephen Robertson said: "This is the first time retail employment data this up-to-date has been available and it shows retailers driving the recovery. It's a remarkable achievement that, in the face of economic uncertainty, retailers in our monitor have created 22,000 jobs and added nearly 500 stores since this time last year. Economic conditions and consumer confidence have certainly improved in the last 12 months but from a weak starting point.

"Consumer spending has been surprising resilient over the year and generally retailer sales have remained robust. With unemployment at 2.5m and with significant public sector cuts to come, it's encouraging retail is actively creating jobs. The sector currently provides 2.9m jobs. In this difficult environment, politicians must think very carefully before introducing burdens on retailers that risk undermining their vital role in generating jobs."

The latest official Government statistics showed the unemployment rate for the three months to May was 7.8%, down 0.1% on the quarter. The number of unemployed people fell by 34,000 over the quarter to 2.47m.

The Q2 2010 monitor covered the period from April 1, 2010 to June 30, 2010. It is representative of large and small retailers, covering both food and non-food. The sample includes data for more than 1m employees, representing more than a third of the total retail labour market and accounts for more than 50% of the retail sector by turnover.