Retailers have called on the government to take “all necessary precautions” to prevent a fourth lockdown after 67,000 retail jobs were lost in the past year. The industry, which still employs more than 3 million people, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, warned that further job losses could be on the way if shops were forced to remain closed beyond 12 April. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents hundreds of retail groups from major supermarkets to independent fashion chains, said there were now 600,000 retail workers on furlough, up 200,000 since December, suggesting further jobs were at risk. Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the BRC, said the situation was “likely to get worse if the third lockdown wears on”. While new jobs in grocery stores and online retailing or deliveries had been created, she said stores in town and city centres continued to employ fewer and fewer people. “Now is the time to rebuild the economy. Retail remains the largest private sector employer in the UK, meaning the strength of the industry remains important for the economy at large. The biggest threat to jobs and shops will be future lockdowns beyond April 12, and it is imperative the government takes all necessary precautions to prevent that from happening,” Dickinson said. “Any delays to the prime minister’s roadmap will undoubtedly result in more store closures and threaten the livelihoods of the retail workers currently furloughed.”