Tesco creates 16,000 permanent jobs as online orders grow

Tesco has seen online sales boom. Credit: PA

Tesco will create 16,000 new permanent roles to support the growth of its online business, the supermarket has announced.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Tesco has seen a large increase in online orders being made.

In April, the supermarket became the first retailer to fulfil one million online grocery orders in a week.

The company say 10,000 of the new roles will be for pickers, who assemble orders, and 3,000 drivers will be hired, in addition to other positions within the distribution network.

Many of the jobs will be filled by temporary workers who have been employed by Tesco during the pandemic.

It is good news for the jobs market, which has seen a large amounts of cuts in the retail section recently, with the likes of Marks & Spencer announcing the loss of 7,000 roles.

Tesco UK and Ireland chief executive Jason Tarry said: “Since the start of the pandemic, our colleagues have helped us to more than double our online capacity, safely serving nearly 1.5m customers every week and prioritising vulnerable customers to ensure they get the food they need.

“These new roles will help us continue to meet online demand for the long term, and will create permanent employment opportunities for 16,000 people across the UK.”