The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has produced a report that highlights the problems faced by businesses in filling vacancies. Unsurprisingly, the report highlights that the hospitality industry is struggling the most to fill vacancies. Some of the key findings from the report are:
- 30% of hospitality businesses said that vacancies were more difficult to fill than normal compared to 13% across all sectors
- 41% of businesses across all industries were struggling to fill vacancies in late August, up from 32% earlier in the month (businesses with over 10 employees)
- 25% of businesses said that a reduced number of EU applicants was a factor
In the hospitality sector vacancies are up job openings up by 59% compared with pre-pandemic levels (January to March 2020).