Lancashire chamber of commerce call for the Government to act to solve the recruitment crisis

The call comes after a national survey by the British Chambers of Commerce found its members were suffering widespread problems.

It said its survey of more than 5,600 firms found a majority of those in manufacturing and services reported near record high recruitment issues. More than nine in 10 employers in hospitality and catering are having difficulty finding staff.

Geoff Mason, policy manager, at the chamber, said: “Recruitment difficulties continue to hamper the recovery of many firms.

“Hospitality businesses, in particular, are struggling to fill vacancies which prevents them taking full advantage of the end of Covid restrictions.

“In Lancashire, we are also seeing difficulties in the manufacturing and construction with 78 per cent of in those sectors facing difficulties during the last quarter.

“Government action is needed to ensure that the UK’s economic recovery is not halted as a result of recruitment difficulties.

“While improving the country’s skills base and ensuring workers are able to acquire the skills needed by employers is an important step, it will not be a quick fix.

“Immediate steps must be taken to aid those sectors badly hit by recruitment. The Government talks about how the UK can make decisions around immigration based on the needs of business; now is the time for to see that flexible approach to visas.

“There is no time to wait and see. Action must be taken to ensure the economy continues to recover and businesses grow, increasing much needed tax receipts for the Treasury in the process.”

The BCC’s Quarterly Recruitment Outlook for Q3, was derived from a survey of over 5,600 firms.

Attempted recruitment during Q3 was up on previous quarters with 61 per cent overall attempting to recruit (52 per cent in Q2). However, this uptick was followed by large increases in the proportion of respondents reporting difficulty in filling roles – 77 per cent in Q3 (70 per cent in Q2).

Among manufacturers 80 per cent reported recruitment issues; 92 per cent of the the hospitality and catering sector reported problems and within all sectors, 50 per cent reported difficulties in hiring skilled technical staff, 45 per cent managerial roles and 34 per cent unskilled or semi-skilled workers.

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