On Friday alone 600 new job cuts were announced at major chains, as the high street struggles to recover from lockdown.
On Friday River Island became the latest employer to cut jobs, saying it would reduce its headcount by around 350 people by shaking up management.
Sushi chain Yo! also announced plans to cut up to 250 jobs and close 19 of its restaurants on Friday, with office workers staying at home far longer than expected.
It means close to 5,000 major firms have announced job losses this week alone.
The biggest single blow was from Debenhams, with the struggling department store saying 2,500 roles would disappear as it shuts 19 stores.
A spokesman for Debenhams said: "We have successfully reopened 124 stores, post-lockdown, and these are currently trading ahead of management expectations.
"At the same time, the trading environment is clearly a long way from returning to normal and we have to ensure our store costs are aligned with realistic expectations."
As well as restaurants and shops, this week also saw hotels, banks, holiday firms and tourist attractions reveal job cut jobs.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that - between March and July - some 730,000 roles have vanished from companies' payrolls.
And it's feared worse is to come, with the UK officially entering the most severe recession on record and the furlough scheme being wound up.
Jeremy Thomson Cook, chief economist at currency firms Equals, said: "The end of the furlough scheme will present a cliff-edge, statistically and economically, for those currently relying on government support to make up their wages.
"Longer-term Government stimulus to create jobs is needed to ensure the gap between the end of the furlough scheme and a rise in employment is not larger than it needs to be.”
Here are the major employers who have announced job losses in the past 7 days:
- River Island - 350 jobs to go as weak footfall on the high street continued despite lockdown easing
- Yo Sushi - 250 jobs put at risk as 19 stores close after the company took out a company voluntary arrangement to try and survive coronavirus
- NatWest - 550 jobs at risk and one of its London offices closing as bad debts rise thanks to earnings lost to the pandemic
- InterContinental Hotels - 650 jobs going worldwide
- Debenhams - 2,500 jobs across the entire Debenhams brand - including within its distribution centres - as the chain plans more store closures
- Banks Mining - 250 jobs are at risk at North East employer Banks Mining up to because of delays in planning decisions
- Tate art galleries - 200 jobs are at risk at Tate galleries, including the Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Tate Liverpool, said
- Well Pharmacy - 374 non-pharmacist manager jobs jobs are on the line as the chain tries to survive Covi-19 restrictions on trade
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