The number of retail job vacancies has declined, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Retail vacancies decreased by 12% in the period between May and July. While the overall number of UK vacancies reduced by 5.8% to 718,000 in the quarter between May and July.

ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said in a statement reported by The BBC: “The number of employees on payroll has now fallen in 10 of the last 12 months, with these falls concentrated in hospitality and retail.”

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“Job vacancies, likewise, have continued to fall, also driven by fewer opportunities in these industries,” she added.

Retail executives have previously warned of a slowdown in hiring, and an increase in job cuts due to the higher National Insurance contributions as well as the increased minimum wage.