Over half of UK employers plan to take on more staff this Spring, but many could be hampered by the severe lack of skilled candidates, new research has revealed.
A study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that 53 per cent of firms wanted to expand their workforces over the coming months – a further indication of the improving economy and the sky-high optimism currently felt by businesses.
However, 43 per cent of employers said they expected to face difficulties in recruiting new staff, with a lack of suitable candidates the prime reason.
Over a third of businesses said they expected trouble in recruiting professionals, with 18 per cent anticipating difficulty in taking on tradespersons.
The lack of skills in the UK workforce now affects around a quarter of firms, with an estimated 500,000 vacancies currently unfilled across the country because employers cannot attract quality staff.
The generally high employment optimism is also not shared by manufacturers, with a third expecting to cut their workforce by five per cent or more.
Dr John Philpott, chief economist at the CIPD, said that the expectation of strengthening economic recovery in 2004 us clearly making organisations more optimistic about job prospects.
“These quarterly survey figures remain consistent with the CIPD’s current expectation that total UK employment levels will rise by about a quarter of a million this year.
“However, manufacturing is a major exception, though job losses in the sector are consistent with recovery as employers restructure to boost competitiveness.
“In a tight labour market with relatively low unemployment, increased wage pressure could potentially hamper the ability of organisations to recruit. It is therefore encouraging that few employers expect a significant increase in wage costs,” he said.
