Candidate shortage afflicts two-thirds of businesses

May 7, 2024

Two-thirds of large employers (67%) and more than half medium-sized employers reported shortages of candidates. But the problem is most acute among small businesses (fewer than 50 employees) with more than three quarters (81%) experiencing difficulties recruiting.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation said that its figures showed that despite a year of slower economic growth and lower overall hiring, the UK jobs market was still struggling to meet employers’ demand.

According to REC chief executive Neil Carberry, too few firms had appreciated that despite slow growth the jobs market had changed at a fundamental level.

He said: “Only 9.5% of firms told us they were looking to temps, freelancers and contractors to help. Yet support from agencies on both temporary labour and innovative routes to hiring permanent roles are vital to getting the people a business needs now.”

He added: “For too long, the debate within businesses and with governments about productivity, production design and workforce development has been sterile. That has to change if the economy is to reach its full potential and boost prosperity, public services and incomes.”

The REC’s Overcoming Shortages report found that a 10% surge in demand for staff across the economy, and the labour market restricted by shortages, could lead to a 1.2% fall in expected GDP and productivity by 2027 – costing the economy anywhere between £30 billion and £39 billion every year.

The REC/Savanta survey was of different size employers across the UK in private and public sectors, asking 167 employers of different sizes: “How, if at all, has your attitude towards temporary agency workers, freelancers and contractors changed because of ongoing candidate shortages?”

The problems being experienced especially by smaller businesses have been echoed by another report, which showed the proportion of small firms that were expanding their workforce fell by 40% between 2012 and 2022.

The new State of Small Businesses in Britain report, by the Enterprise Research Centre at Warwick Business School/Aston University, showed that Brexit, the pandemic and cost of living increases had damaged small businesses disproportionately.

Among the report’s key findings were that small businesses have been hit by an increase in presenteeism with 37% of firms in 2023 reporting that employees continued to work while unwell or beyond their contracted hours. This was accompanied by an increase in the rate of mental health-related sickness.

Source - Adfam McCulloch, Personnel Today

Link - https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/candidate-shortage-afflicts-two-thirds-of-businesses/

RECENT POSTS

New Employment Rights Bill: Key Updates and Impact on Recruitment

READ ARTICLE

October 11, 2024

Switching off from job boosts productivity - No 10

READ ARTICLE

September 13, 2024

Candidate shortage afflicts two-thirds of businesses

READ ARTICLE

May 7, 2024

Will Britons work until they’re 71? Expert examines proposed pension age rise

READ ARTICLE

May 7, 2024

World Mental Health Day - Over eight in ten businesses seeing increased employee demand for more work wellbeing benefits

READ ARTICLE

October 10, 2023

9 Do’s and Don’ts of Asking Questions in Job Interviews

READ ARTICLE

September 4, 2023

TUC warns better regulations are needed to protect workers against AI

READ ARTICLE

July 24, 2023

UK businesses struggle to recruit staff needed to fill key roles

READ ARTICLE

July 24, 2023

UK wage growth rises at fastest pace in two years

READ ARTICLE

June 16, 2023

Workplace AI: How artificial intelligence will transform the workday

READ ARTICLE

May 23, 2023

Workplace words glossary: A dictionary of the most used slang words in the workplace

READ ARTICLE

May 23, 2023

10-Step Checklist Before You Send Your Application

READ ARTICLE

February 7, 2023

ATS systems and your CV: 5 things you need to know

READ ARTICLE

February 7, 2023

National Apprenticeship Week – start your career and earn while you learn

READ ARTICLE

February 7, 2023

UK staff to have right to ask for flexible working from day one in job

READ ARTICLE

December 7, 2022

Qatar World Cup: Bosses issued advice over staff wanting to watch games during work

READ ARTICLE

November 21, 2022

‘Fully remote’ roles face steep decline in popularity

READ ARTICLE

November 21, 2022

Two-thirds of UK workers think work-life balance is more valuable than pay

READ ARTICLE

June 14, 2022

Taking a Step Back

READ ARTICLE

March 18, 2022

War for talent

READ ARTICLE

March 18, 2022

Choosing the right industry: how to decide if a job is right for you

READ ARTICLE

March 18, 2022

At What Age Is It Too Late For A Career Change?

READ ARTICLE

January 6, 2022

Four things to remember when dressing for a job: a guide for modern workers

READ ARTICLE

January 6, 2022

Digital right-to-work checks to become permanent from April

READ ARTICLE

January 6, 2022

Flexible working not a given right for employees

READ ARTICLE

December 14, 2021

5 of the WORST career mistakes you could make in 2021

READ ARTICLE

January 12, 2021

HMRC to waive fines for taxpayers who file late returns due to Covid

READ ARTICLE

January 12, 2021

What can you do to boost your new year job search?

READ ARTICLE

January 4, 2021

How to Make Your Job Application Stand Out from the Rest

READ ARTICLE

October 28, 2020

List Recruitment Evesham - We are back!

READ ARTICLE

July 16, 2020

Terry List

READ ARTICLE

July 3, 2020

Has the bounce back begun? Jobs decline slows for first time in a month

READ ARTICLE

June 2, 2020

Home office ergonomics: how to work from home without breaking your back

READ ARTICLE

April 24, 2020

Sick pay from day one for those affected by coronavirus

READ ARTICLE

March 5, 2020

How to love your job

READ ARTICLE

February 14, 2020

An employer’s guide to LGBT inclusion in the workplace

READ ARTICLE

February 7, 2020

Bereaved parents to get two weeks’ paid leave

READ ARTICLE

January 24, 2020

2020's top in-demand jobs

READ ARTICLE

January 7, 2020

Job Hunting in December

READ ARTICLE

December 2, 2019

British workers reject 9-5 as the way to make a living

READ ARTICLE

November 22, 2019

Navigating end of year office celebrations

READ ARTICLE

November 19, 2019

Record low business confidence denting ambitious hiring plans

READ ARTICLE

October 31, 2019

Banning out-of-hours email likely to be harmful to some employees

READ ARTICLE

October 18, 2019

How to improve your Linked In profile

READ ARTICLE

October 9, 2019

What to check for in your contract before taking a job

READ ARTICLE

September 26, 2019

Experience or education: which is more important?

READ ARTICLE

September 11, 2019

1 in 5 Employees Quits Job Over Poor Payroll Experience

READ ARTICLE

September 5, 2019

How to manage your references

READ ARTICLE

September 5, 2019

How to leave a job without burning bridges

READ ARTICLE

August 19, 2019

UK Heatwave: What Are Your Rights At Work?

READ ARTICLE

July 24, 2019

Two million workers could receive statutory sick pay for first time

READ ARTICLE

July 16, 2019

Countdown to IR35 Legislation in the private sector begins

READ ARTICLE

July 16, 2019

Up to a third of new employees aren’t passing their six-month probationary reviews

READ ARTICLE

July 9, 2019

Employer confidence beginning to show signs of improvement

READ ARTICLE

June 27, 2019

How to write a job advert (with examples)

READ ARTICLE

June 27, 2019

What to ask in an Engineering Interview?

READ ARTICLE

June 27, 2019

Worker confidence in the UK jobs market falls

READ ARTICLE

June 26, 2019

The best jobs for work-life balance in the UK

READ ARTICLE

June 26, 2019

Most workers avoiding moving jobs due to low pay, research suggests

READ ARTICLE

June 25, 2019

Over-50s ‘driving UK’s jobs miracle’

READ ARTICLE

June 25, 2019

Government calls on more women to take up engineering careers

READ ARTICLE

June 25, 2019

We have moved!

READ ARTICLE

August 30, 2018

Candidate shortage threatens the job market 'feel-good factor' – REC

READ ARTICLE

August 22, 2018

UK unemployment is at an all-time low

READ ARTICLE

August 14, 2018

List attains REC Audited status

READ ARTICLE

August 7, 2018