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Tesco's jobs claim

For their first application, Tesco claimed the store would "bring 250 jobs to the area". They make similar claims for proposals up and down the country.
Several sources of evidence make clear that the number of new jobs would have been far less than this, against which other jobs would have been lost as other local businesses lose trade over time.

Despite nation-wide evidence, East Dunbartonshire Council's report to its planning board gave "Jobs" as one of two reasons why Tesco's first application should be granted, despite its being a departure from the Local Plan.

The claim is highly misleading

Such claims by supermarkets have been discredited in a series of published studies. Their misleading nature has been summarised recently by the Association of Convenience Stores in:
"Job Creation Claims in New Supermarket Retail Developments" »

1. The numbers claimed are mostly of part-time jobs, many just a few hours.

2. The numbers take no account of consequential job losses over time in the surrounding area. There is typically a net loss of jobs overall. (If this seems surprising, remember that there is only a fixed total amount of shopping to be done in an area. Tesco service it with less employees than the competition .)

EVIDENCE: Numbers unemployed do not fall when Tesco stores open

      Typical data in graph on right

A researcher from the north of England recorded unemployment figures in six small towns in different geographic areas, before and after a Tesco supermarket opened. The opening did not lower the numbers claiming Job Seekers Allowance in any of the six towns, despite hundred of jobs being claimed to be created. With the author's permission WeLikeMilngavie submitted the data from this as yet unpublished study » to the Public Inquiry.

It is telling that despite the use of "Jobs" to persuade the Planning Authority, the "J" word was not used once in Tesco's appeal against the Planning Board's refusal.

Tesco's own data

Figures from their own annual reports reveal that the UK-wide number of full-time jobs offered by Tesco and Sainsbury's has actually fallen over the past two years despite the opening of numerous new stores.
See Press Report »

Sample of unemployment data

'We remain committed to bringing this investment to Milngavie, to creating jobs, and to building a better and more environmentally friendly store which will keep people shopping locally.'

Tesco Press Release. WLM Italics