Three in five employers find it hard to recruit people who are up to the job, and it’s stunting the growth and competitiveness of UK businesses, according to new research.
The survey of more than 13,000 employers, conducted by Skills for Business, the network of Sector Skills Councils, found that more than 60 per cent of employers have difficulty recruiting people with the skills to do the job.
A quarter of employers said they found it difficult to enhance business by improving their products or services as a result of skill gaps in their current workforce.
Small businesses find it more than twice as hard to find the right people, according to the research.
Christopher Duff, chief executive of Skills for Business, said: “These figures reflect the relative weakness of small employers in the recruitment market. It means small businesses and their employees get a raw deal, with larger companies often monopolising the labour market.”
The Skills for Business network is made up of 25 Sector Skills Councils – either licensed or in development – whose role it is to represent the employers’ skills needs, and to push for changes to ensure skills supply meets demand.
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