Employment: Tesco stores to create 310 jobs

RETAILING giant Tesco Ireland has created more than 300 new jobs in Ireland with the opening of three new supermarkets.

The stores in Mayo, Galway and Waterford will employ 310 staff between them.

And the chain said another 15 jobs will be created when a Tesco Express Store opens in Newcastle, Galway city next week.

The group has already announced the creation of 748 jobs as it invests €113m in its operations in the Republic this year and next.

Chief executive Tony Keohane said the new stores will play an important role in helping consumers at the three locations to shop locally rather than travelling long distances for their regular family shopping.

The group said that 7,500 applicants have been chasing some 750 jobs at the new stores.

A company spokesman said that it had been inundated with applications for jobs at each of the new stores.

"Broadly speaking, we have been looking at a ratio of about 10 to one," he said. "In some stores it's a bit more."

Separately, Gift Voucher Shop (GVS), the company behind the multi-store One4all Gift Card and Voucher, said that it will employ 54 additional staff in the run-up to Christmas.

The additional employees will more than double the company's existing staff base of 52 and will be based in Swords, north Dublin, and will be employed in customer service, accounts, corporate sales, promotions and marketing.