British shoppers could face shortages at Christmas

Shoppers in the UK could face shortages at Christmas because of a lack of staff.

High demand for workers may cause staff shortages in the run up to Christmas, a survey by Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has found.

Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, said, “We’re well into the recovery now, and our surveys show that demand for labour remains high. Even with a large number of people coming off furlough in August and September, it’s likely that high demand for workers will continue to cause shortages through the autumn. There will be particular pressures in logistics, food manufacturing and hospitality as we gear up for Christmas, and hiring for this period has already started.

“Hiring businesses need to reassess their plans to make sure they can source the people they need over the months and years to come. That means the right mix of new mid-career hires, temporary staff and trainees or apprentices. Recruitment and staffing firms understand this process better than anyone and are ideally placed to help.

“For government, the pressing issue is that labour shortages will limit business and economic growth in the months to come. It’s time to work with businesses and make the reforms needed to unemployment support and the skills system, and put more people on a path to a good job.”

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