The employee-owned partnership trades from 34 John Lewis department stores and a chain of 329 Waitrose food stores.

It wants over 2,900 seasonal workers for the department stores and over 2,800 for Waitrose, plus a further 2,700 workers for its warehouses and to deliver goods.

Britain's labour market has been tight over the last year but is showing some signs of cooling. However, official data published earlier this month showed basic wages hit a new record growth rate.

The John Lewis Partnership, which reported a 234 million pound loss in its 2022-23 year, is half way through a five-year recovery plan and has said it may seek external investment.

(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Frances Kerry)