Recruitment headache continues for firms, says Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

Recruitment remains a major headache for firms despite a slight increase in unemployment, says Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

The latest figures show that unemployment rose by 0.2 per cent in the month to October. Economic inactivity also fell and employment rose, driven by 50 to 64-year-olds re-joining the workforce.

Corin Crane, Chief Executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “There is absolutely no doubt that when we speak to business, recruitment remains very high on their list of concerns.

“There are companies in this area that are ready to grow and take on new staff but they just can’t find the people – and that goes across a range of sectors.

“The statistics show that 50 to 64-year-olds are starting to return to the workforce – potentially driven by the cost of living crisis – and that is a something that the Government needs to nurture through training and upskilling programmes.

“But that is not going to be enough with the sheer number of vacancies in the job market. It has to be a top priority for the Government in the New Year to help keep the economy moving and widely forecast recession as short as possible.

“And, if unemployment starts to rise during the recession, we look at ways of ensuring people have the necessary skills to fulfil those vacancies that are available.”

Jane Gratton, Head of People Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “These figures show the tightness in the UK labour market is not shifting significantly.

“Job vacancies remain at record highs, adding to the recessionary pressure businesses are facing.

“We have urged the Government to immediately reform the Shortage Occupations List.  This will help businesses fill urgent job vacancies from abroad when they cannot recruit skilled people locally.
“Firms need to support over 50s to return to work and invest much more in training and upskilling. But politicians need to be realistic about the skills we need from outside the UK.

“It’s time for a sensible debate that looks beyond the headline immigration figures, as these include students and are skewed. They don’t reflect the real-life situation facing employers up and down the country.

“Brexit has given us control of our borders and Government must use the appropriate levers to help struggling businesses get the people they need.

“It’s no use talking about growth if we are not prepared to take action on it.”