Labour Expense and Recruitment Issues Leave Employers Struggling
The Quarterly Recruitment Outlook (QRO) is a survey of 5000 UK firms of various sizes and operating in multiple sectors. The QRO for Q4 of 2024 has revealed that several sectors within the UK are suffering from recruitment issues more than they were in Q3.
The number of organisations with recruitment issues in the labour market has risen from 73% to 76%. The transport and logistics sector reported 81% of businesses struggling with recruitment, and the hospitality sector reported 83% of companies with the same issues. Furthermore, 77% of organisations in manufacturing, 66% of retailers and 79% of construction firms are all under similar pressure when it comes to recruitment issues.
Along with the rising pressure of recruiting, there has also been a drop in investment in training within the workplace. This is the second quarter in succession where the plans for staff training and investment have decreased across the board, falling from 27% in Q3 to 26% in Q4.
What is the solution to this? The BBC is making a case for increasing flexibility in the apprenticeship levy to help more workplaces get the training they require – but what are your thoughts?