Asda, Britain's second-biggest grocer, plans to create about 7,000 jobs this year and committed to recruiting up to 3,000 long-term unemployed people for existing vacancies, reported Reuters.
The firm, owned by U.S. group Wal-Mart (WMT.N), the world's biggest retailer, said on Wednesday it would create 3,700 new jobs by the opening of nine new food stores, five new non-food Asda Living stores and extending 15 existing stores.
A further 2,000 jobs will be created by expanding its home shopping business Asda.com, with around 1,000 more through organic growth and 120 in its pharmacies and optical centers.
In total, Asda will create 580,000 square feet of new store space in 2009, it said in a statement.