Loosening immigration requirements could be a solution to labour shortages, according to 81% of respondents to a recent survey of 700 directors.
The results of the IoD survey, covering July and August, shows that 44% of businesses are currently experiencing staff shortages – a development which risks undermining the recovery and stoking emerging inflationary pressures.
Of those affected, 65% attribute worker shortages to the UK’s long-term skills gap, whilst four in 10 are struggling with a lack of potential workers from the EU. Some 21% state that these shortages are due to staff having to isolate. A similar proportion report that furloughed or inactive staff are reluctant to return to the workforce at the current time.
Directors are finding that the most challenging roles to recruit are in the ‘professionals’ and ‘associate professionals’ categories – although ‘skilled tradespeople’ are also much in demand. The sector worst hit by staff shortages is hospitality.
In response to these shortages, 81% of directors would support loosening immigration requirements as a way of easing the pressures on the labour market.
Labour shortages are also impacting on the salary costs facing business. Three quarters of directors say they are concerned by this. Half of those affected are observing increases in wage costs in excess of 5%.
In order to ensure that any recovery is not stymied by a dysfunctional labour market, the IoD has called on the Government to increase its efforts to train workers, facilitate the issuance of working visas and reduce the costs of employment.
Proposals include:
- Extending the Kickstart Scheme beyond 2021, and investing in the Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme to allow SMEs to access university talent
- Suspending the Immigration Skills Charge for small businesses and exploring other ways of easing Immigration restrictions
- Temporarily slashing non-wage costs like employers’ NICs, for example by raising the employment allowance, for start-ups and the hospitality sector in particular.
- Encouraging investment in training by creating a new temporary tax incentive to support spending on retraining, technology, and green growth, or widen R&D tax reliefs to include these.
Joe Fitzsimons, Senior Policy Advisor at the IoD said:
Employers are keen to rebuild following an incredibly turbulent 18 months for business. But the issue of labour shortages is proving disruptive across a huge range of sectors and at all levels. Ensuring that workers are available with the right skillset to perform effectively is a crucial pre-requisite for recovery.
“The long-term skills gap combined with both a reduced talent pool since leaving the EU, and the immediate impact of the ‘pingdemic’, are the primary pressure points. The resultant rising wage bill is the next bitter pill to swallow. It is understandable that directors are very concerned.
“Although there is light at the end of the tunnel, with COVID restrictions continuing to ease, businesses are still relying on the government to address the ongoing challenges within the labour market. There are actions the government should take in the immediate term, although they must not neglect the longer-term skills gaps employers are facing.”