TORONTO — Loblaw Cos. here said it sees an opportunity to shift 10,000 jobs from part time to full time in a move that would increase productivity and reduce costly turnover.
Speaking at the CIBC Retail and Consumer Conference here Wednesday, Allen Leighton, president and deputy chairman of Loblaw, identified worker productivity among the key issues facing all retailers as they navigate the next 12-18 months.
“The opportunity in full time is much more productive for everyone. The hourly wage is 50% higher, but the average turnover is about 90% lower and in that mix there’s a sweet spot where in retail you can have more full-time jobs, less part-time jobs, and people with better pay and productivity,” Leighton said.
“This doesn’t mean you have to be at war with the unions all the time; this means the reverse of that. It means that the retailers and the unions have to find the sweet spot. We know in our business alone we could create 10,000 more jobs, and 10,000 full-time jobs would improve productivity and have a big impact ion the economy.”
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