COMPANIES, struggling to bounce back after Covid-19 restrictions, are facing the worst recruitment crisis in 20 years, experts have warned, as acute shortage of staff is being reported from varied sectors across the country.
From hospitality to manufacturing, logistics to NHS to agriculture- almost every sector in the UK is said to be currently facing a manpower shortage. Vacancies have leapt 24 per cent from March and May, to 758,000, shows the data from the Office for National Statistics.
Hospitality, which is said to have a high turnover rate, currently has nearly 190,000 vacancies. Students and apprentices, who often work part-time in hospitality, have had their studies disrupted by Covid and are not in their normal place of education. Other workers have moved away from big cities to save money during the pandemic.
Experts feel that during lockdown many people sought out other kinds of work and are reluctant to return to the "quite brutal" culture of long hours and night work.
UKHospitality reportedly found 80 per cent of its members were short of front-of-house workers, such as waiters, and 85 per cent needed chefs.
Logistics sector is facing a shortage of truckers that has reached “catastrophic proportions”, industry body the Road Haulage Association warned, with a national shortfall at 70,000 drivers.
While many factory owners say the problem of finding skilled workers has become worse after Covid and Brexit, the agriculture sector is also reported to be facing a shortfall of 500, 000 workers.
However, acute vacancies are expected to result in pay rise as some of the businesses have reportedly resorted to offer their staff thousands of pounds to help recruit new blood, or simply to stay on.
“It is easier to get jobs, move jobs and to get a pay rise – workers have a lot more power,” Mirror quoted James Reed of Reed recruitment.
Rachel Reeves