There are now 400,000 hospitality vacancies in the UK, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Trade groups are examining what can be done to attract more people to the sector, which has been known for low wages and long hours.
Venues are at last able to re-open fully without Covid restrictions, but staff shortages are threatenting hospitality’s revival. As well as receruitment problems, operators face ever-rising costs, as inflation soars away.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “Of course the hospitality sector is delighted Covid restrictions are being lifted, but that brings a new problem: how to service increased customer demand without the staff to do it.
“Vacancies in our industry are now double (up 102%) what they were before the pandemic, and there has been a fundamental shift in the labour market and hospitality must address that quickly. The acute shortfall comes despite employment being close to pre-pandemic levels (minus 4%), at a time when our sector seeks to be at the vanguard of the UK’s post-pandemic economic recovery.
“That’s why we’re backing a proposed £5m cross-sector drive to recruit for those roles; urging government to allow more flexible skills training and to enable businesses to use unspent apprenticeship levy funds from the past two years; and promoting closer partnerships between local businesses and job centres to match jobseekers with the exciting jobs that are available in our sector, and which provide long-term career prospects.”
Flexibility and initiatives
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “Now and throughout the past 22 months, the hospitality sector have experienced acute labour shortages due to varying factors from the pandemic through to Brexit. The latest labour market statistics from the ONS show just how challenging the situation is with record numbers of vacancies across the UK.
“We are calling on the government to provide greater flexibility in current employment and skills initiatives to enable the sector to meet the challenges of recruiting and retaining a skilled and motivated pub and brewing workforce to help drive the economic recovery throughout the UK.”
Gig, which is behind a shift work app, is organising a panel discussion on the future of hospitality, in London on 1st March. Experts will discuss how to raise the profile of the sector and inspire more young people to choose hospitality as a career.
Organisers say: “We know the government is taking steps to try and help hospitality become a more attractive career option, but this is not enough. Industry leaders and organisations need to lead from the front, support one another, and find a solution.
“It’s not about just filling vacancies, it’s about changing perception and encouraging young people to think of hospitality as a career to ensure the future of the industry. We believe that if organisations and politicians work together on this, things can be turned around and we can get the UK #BackinService.”
To find out more about Gig’s event, click here.
