Britain’s labour market is straining to recover from the pandemic

Staff shortages have become a nuisance for businesses and consumers alike. Airlines are struggling: in June travellers searched online for “flight cancelled” at the highest rate since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Retailers report that employees fail to turn up for shifts and that job candidates skip interviews. Ed Vokes of Evolve Recruitment, a catering-staff agency, says that he used to supply workers with only a few days’ notice. These days he requires months.

Between March and May the number of vacancies in Britain reached a record 1.3m. The tight labour market is affecting many industries. Figures from Indeed, a recruitment platform, reveal a 72% increase in postings within the food-preparation and service sector since February 2020 and a doubling in warehouse positions. In the 12 months to May 2022 Linkedin, a networking platform, saw a 72% drop in the average number of applications per job posting.