John Lewis Partnership announces 10,400 festive season roles as youth unemployment hits milestone
John Lewis Partnership has announced plans to create 10,400 seasonal positions across Britain ahead of the Christmas trading period, marking a significant reduction from last year's record recruitment of 13,700 roles.
The positions will be distributed across the retailer's operations, with 6,000 roles available in Waitrose's 320 stores, 2,600 in John Lewis's 36 shops, and 1,800 supporting distribution centres and supply chain operations throughout the country.
The recruitment drive comes at a critical time for young people in the UK, with official statistics showing that 1.01 million people aged 16-24 are now classified as not in education, employment or training. This represents the first time the NEET figure has exceeded one million since 2013, underlining the scale of the challenge facing young jobseekers.
The retailer has historically attracted a predominantly young workforce for its seasonal positions, with approximately three-quarters of previous seasonal recruits under the age of 25. Helen Webb, chief people officer for John Lewis Partnership, emphasised the importance of these opportunities for young workers entering the retail sector.
Christmas represents the busiest trading period for British retailers, with festive sales accounting for nearly 20% of annual retail revenue across the sector. The Partnership refers to this period as the 'golden quarter' and has invested over £1 billion at Waitrose and £800 million at John Lewis to prepare for the seasonal rush.
Focus on care-experienced young people
Among the 10,400 positions, the Partnership expects to recruit 100 young people who have experienced the care system through its Building Happier Futures programme. The initiative, which launched in October 2022 following the retailer's Christmas advertisement 'The Beginner', aims to address significant employment barriers facing this group.
Official statistics reveal that 40% of care-experienced people aged 19-21 are not in employment, education or training, compared with just 12.7% of their peers who have not been in care. These young people typically leave the care system at age 18 in England and Wales, six years earlier than the average age of 24 when most young people leave their family home.
In June, the Partnership doubled its recruitment target for care-experienced young people, committing to hire 1,000 by 2030. To support these candidates, the company will offer 300 welcome visits and 250 job-shadowing placements between now and December, with guaranteed interviews for all those who complete job-shadowing.
The government has recognised youth unemployment as a priority issue, launching an independent investigation in November 2025 to examine the drivers of youth economic inactivity, with an interim report published in May 2026.
Pay and conditions
Seasonal workers will receive starting pay of £13 per hour, or £14.55 in London, rising to £13.25 and £14.80 respectively after 30 days of employment. The positions come with training opportunities and flexible working arrangements.
The recruitment takes place against a challenging backdrop for British retailers, who faced an estimated £5 billion increase in employment costs during 2025, driven largely by higher employer National Insurance contributions and statutory wage increases.
John Lewis Partnership, the UK's largest employee-owned business with approximately 80,000 Partners who share in company profits, will begin advertising the seasonal roles this month at jlpjobs.com/Christmas. Candidates can register their interest and sign up for job alerts now.
Care-experienced individuals interested in the Building Happier Futures employability programme can contact buildinghappierfutures@johnlewis.co.uk for information about upcoming dates and opportunities.
