Sector job vacancies rise again
From April to June, the accommodation and food services sector showed the largest rise in vacancies at 10,200.
Currently, according to the figures, there are 176,000 vacancies in the industry – this was up 6.2% for the quarter. When compared to the previous year, this was up by 64% from 69,000.
In the quarter from March to May 2022, there were 174,000 vacancies against the 176,000 for the latest four months.
Sector comparison
This equates to 13% of job vacancies across all the sectors, which is currently just under 1.3m.
The only sector to have a higher number of empty roles was the human health and social work industry, which has 214,000 (about 16.5% of total vacancies).
The wholesale and retail trade including the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles had the next higher number of vacancies after hospitality at 162,000.
This followed figures in February reporting job vacancies were then 100% higher than the same period pre-Covid.
Previous figures
The data 174,000 from March to May was a record high and UKHospitality boss Kate Nicholls said the figures showed the industry was continuing to return to growth and was attracting new people into the workforce.
She added: “However, high vacancy rates are impeding our ability to trade. This is particularly concerning as we enter the summer – a key trading period for much of the sector.”
Operators have offered numerous ways to tackle the staffing shortages such as higher wages, days off for birthdays and £1 bed and breakfasts for staff.
Earlier this year (March), workers across the trade said the sector needed to promote more inclusive treatment to break bias in the industry and help the recruitment crisis, but positive changes are happening.
