It won’t have escaped your notice that in recent months, the UK has begun to feel the impact of workforce shortages within the transport and logistics industry. From empty supermarket shelves to packed petrol station forecourts, it’s no secret that a lack of qualified workers has seriously hampered our ability to keep our shops and cars fully topped up.

The Government recently announced that in light of predicted shortages in the meat processing industry in the run up to the festive season, that they would be extending the Seasonal Agriculture Workers Scheme for three months in order to stay ahead of potential supply issues. The Hospitality industry has also taken a hit, with many restaurants and cafes having to reduce opening hours or even shut down sites entirely as they feel the impact of workforce disruption on the supply chain.

Furthermore, The CBI has recently warned UK businesses that they can expect up to 2 years of labour shortages- supply issues which are predicted to impact the construction and manufacturing sectors particularly heavily. This warning from the CBI comes with the message that UK businesses should look inwards and prioritise hiring domestic workers, rather than hoping for a change or relaxation to rules.

We at Mitrefinch wanted to find out a bit more about how businesses across the country were viewing these disruptions and how much of a factor workforce shortage plays in their ongoing plans. Are workforce shortages a cause for concern or is it businesses as usual for the UK?

We put the call out on Twitter, Hosting a poll asking if UK businesses were concerned with the long term impact of labour shortages within their industry.

With almost a thousand respondees, the results we got were worryingly high. More than 44% of people claimed that yes in fact, long term workforce shortages were a cause for concern. Coupled with the widespread coverage of very real examples of logistics and supply chain issues affecting the whole country, this suggests that for many organisations, these shortages are being viewed as much more than flash in the pan issues and that any long term implications will have to be factored into their business strategy planning moving forward.

At Mitrefinch, we understand that your people make your business work and that any workforce shortages will be an unwelcome intrusion to any ongoing strategy, regardless of what industry you work in.

We’d love to hear more from you and get your thoughts on the future of the UK workforce and to hear what concerns you have, regarding possible shortages. Our suite of Workforce Management solutions have been built specifically to help businesses gain access to the information they need to stay ahead of shifts in the wider market. If you’d like to find out more about how we can help you meet the challenges of workforce disruption, Get in touch today.