John Lewis owner cut 3,500 jobs last year yet hired chief on £1.2m pay deal

Further job cuts likely as JLP says it is investing in automation as part of ‘simplifying the way we work’Business live – latest updatesThe owner of John Lewis and Waitrose cut 3,500 jobs last year amid efforts to save costs in a tough market – but employed its first group chief executive on a more than £1m pay deal.The staff-owned group, which has 34 John Lewis department stores and 329 Waitrose supermarkets, said it employed 72,900 people in its annual report publ