Aldi’s store expansion plan this year will create 5,000 extra jobs, the German discounter has said.

As reported by Retail Week last month, Aldi is planning to open 80 more stores in the UK this year, taking it past the 700-store mark.

The news comes after Aldi’s latest promotional campaign counterattacking Morrisons’ Price Crunch was yesterday dubbed “misleading” and a “sign of desperation”.

The new roles will include managers, stock assistants and store staff, Aldi said. It will take the discounter’s total staff numbers in the UK to above 32,000.

From this month Aldi is paying store staff at least £8.40 an hour, after revealing last year it was gazumping rival Lidl.

Aldi store staff in London will be paid a minimum of £9.45 per hour. 

It comes as retailers gear up for the impact of George’s Osborne’s living wage, which takes effect in April. Staff over 25 must be paid £7.20 an hour under the new rate.