Highest Level of Recruitment Difficulties on Record

A new survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) reveals firms are facing the highest level of recruitment difficulties on record.
March 09, 2023
Back

The data for the BCC’s Quarterly Recruitment Outlook for Q4 2022 was drawn from a survey of more than 5,600 businesses, 92% of whom were SMEs.

Attempted recruitment in Q4 remained virtually unchanged from the previous quarter, with 61% of firms looking to find staff. Overall, over eight in ten firms (82%) attempting to recruit reported difficulties, up from 76% in Q3.

While recruitment problems persist across all sectors, the survey found that firms in the hospitality sector are most likely to face challenges when recruiting, closely followed by the manufacturing sector.

Statistics from Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid’s quarterly economic survey for the same period reported similar results for businesses in Wales.

61% of businesses in Wales attempted to recruit in Q4 and 77% of firms experienced difficulties in finding suitable staff. 61% of businesses found it most difficult to recruit skilled and manual employees, closely followed by professional and managerial staff and semi or unskilled workers.

Paul Slevin, Executive Chair of Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid, said:

“The findings of the BCC’s Quarterly Recruitment Outlook show that British businesses are facing the highest level of recruitment difficulties on record.

“We have consistently seen in the results of our own quarterly economic surveys that recruitment, particularly of skilled employees, is an ongoing challenge for businesses in Wales. The extremely tight labour market isn’t easing and continues to place pressure on businesses who wish to increase productivity and grow.

“Investment in training and skills development is needed so that employers can support everyone in the workplace, find new employees and respond to skills and labour gaps in their businesses.”

Original Article: Business News Wales

We know where to find the best talent. Contact our recruitment specialist Gareth Allison or give us a call on 02920 620702 for your staffing needs.

Other articles
March 08, 2023

Women with children, disabled people, and traditionally post-retirement age workers hold the key to boosting employment participation rates according to new research published by the Resolution Foundation. Its Post-pandemic participation report revealed that despite recent falls in unemployment, the long term impact of Covid-19 has been a rise in economic inactivity, up by 830,000 since March 2020….

April 28, 2025

UK pay continued to grow much faster than inflation in the three months to February, though the jobs market showed signs of slowing down. The average regular earnings excluding bonuses rose 5.9% in the period on an annual basis, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), easily outstripping inflation, which came in…

Let's talk. Get in touch with us today!

Ask a question
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Risus morbi magna non, vitae placerat molestie viverra molestie odio.

    Thank you, the team will be in touch shortly