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Nine out of ten recruiters (88%) say that labour shortages are one of their biggest concerns for the remainder of 2021, while skills shortages are a major concern for two thirds (65%). It follows yesterday’s data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that job vacancies have risen above one million for the first time since records began and now far exceed pre-pandemic levels. With people shortages hitting every sector and many staffing companies reporting the tightest labour market they have ever experienced, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) is calling on business and the government to take urgent action to solve the problem. Recruiters told the REC they have a significantly higher number of roles to fill than before the pandemic, with three in five (58%) having at least 30% more vacancies than pre-Covid. Almost every respondent to the REC survey (97%) said that it was taking longer than usual to fill vacancies, compounding the problem. Half (50%) reported that it now takes more than a month to find suitable candidates. Kate Shoesmith, deputy CEO of the REC, said: “Vacancy numbers are far higher than pre-pandemic, and it is taking much longer to fill them. This is putting the recovery at risk by putting capacity constraints on the economy, as last week’s GDP figures showed. In our survey, recruiters also highlighted a wide range of factors that have combined to cause these shortages – this is a complex problem with no one easy fix.” She added: “Government must allow more flexibility in the immigration system so firms can hire essential workers like drivers from abroad, and also improve training opportunities for lower-paid and temporary workers. Meanwhile companies need to focus on how they will attract and retain staff through improved conditions and facilit
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