Businesses are facing their highest level of recruitment difficulties on record.
New figures show that more than eight in 10 companies attempting to bring in new employees over the last few months have faced challenges.
And while the problem is persistent across all sectors, hospitality firms are most likely to face labour market issues followed by manufacturing, construction and professional services.
The data forms part of the British Chamber of Commerce’s latest Quarterly Recruitment Outlook for October to December 2022. It records the worst recruiting difficulties since the survey began in 1989.
More than 5,600 businesses were surveyed (the majority SMEs) – with six in 10 saying they were actively trying to recruit.
Now Staffordshire business chiefs have renewed calls for the Government to move swiftly to alleviate the problem by working with firms on solutions including childcare support and urgent reform of the Shortage Occupations List.
Staffordshire Chambers Chief Executive Sara Williams said: “Today’s findings reveal that British businesses are continuing to face an incredibly high level of recruitment difficulties.
“We urge the government to take a long hard look at the systems that are in place to support employment for businesses – from support offered by charities to those furthest from the labour market (which will cease with the demise of European funding), to the failures of the apprenticeship systems.
“In addition, issues facing T-levels and the abolition of many BTECs will not help develop a skilled and effective workforce for the future.
“More is needed to be done to keep the experienced people in the workforce to help pass on their knowledge to new entrants.
“We also have many people retiring early and people looking for more agile working – factors which are putting more strains on recruitment.”
Sara added that the burden of childcare is also a major barrier to people re-entering the workforce.
She said: “Access to childcare must be simple and affordable; we would like to see the introduction of a flexible family childcare budget that can be used to the meet individual family’s’ needs.
“Finally, Government must hear our calls to reform the Shortage Occupation List to help businesses fill urgent job vacancies when they cannot recruit locally.
“The List should more accurately reflect, and offers solution to, the skills and labour challenges facing our businesses.”
Locally, Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is leading the development and delivery of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).
Businesses in Staffordshire are being encouraged to join the Chambers’ LSIP Employers forum to help address skills challenges and barriers local firms are facing when recruiting or upskilling staff.
