The outlook for retail staffing firms will remain tough, according to retail recruitment firms.

Latest figures from the British Retail Consortium shows that UK retail sales values fell 0.8% on a like-for-like basis and rose only 0.8% on a total basis, from May 2008.

Kate McCarthy, managing director at McCarthy Retail Recruitment, told Recruiter: “We are still in a downturn. Because we are different, we are picking up marketshare from our competitors. There are some retail recruitment businesses struggling at the moment.

“I do not think we are at the bottom yet. I think we will be coming out of it in April next year.”

Peter Burgess, managing director at Retail HR, adds: “I think there are another million to be made unemployed. From the retail recruiter’s point of view, that is not good news.

“It mean employers find it easier to recruit and they don’t need us as much.”