Job Vacancies Soar to a Record High of 953,000 in May to July Issue 71
As the UK economy recovers and restrictions are eased, the hospitality sector is suffering from a post-brexit shortage of chefs and restaurant staff, with an estimated 117,000 vacancies in the sector, up 16,000 from the same period in 2020. Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show an upsurge in the number of people in employment, which rose by 182,000 to 28.9 million last month, but still 201,000 lower than a year ago. The unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent in the three months to the end of June from 4.8 percent previously, according to the ONS. Job vacancies have soared to a record high of 953,000 in May to July — up by more than 168,000 from last year, with hospitality sector jobs accounting for an estimated 12% of the total job vacancies across the UK. The British Chambers of Commerce warned the recruitment crisis could have a detrimental effect on the economy, as well as pushing up wages to above inflation levels.
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Shortages have already driven up headline pay statistics, with wage growth hitting 7.4 percent over the period, the ONS said. Hospitality CEO Kate Nicholls said: “the sector is experiencing widespread or recruitment challenges and this is just one of the many negative effects stemming from a prolonged period of closure that hospitality has suffered while furlough has helped protect many sector jobs, businesses that have been haemorrhaging cash or accruing debt during enforced closures and trading restrictions have been forced to let staff go and were unable to reopen with full teams intact. some of these workers will have moved to different sectors that have been open and busy over the course of the pandemic.” “This is just more evidence of how hospitality has been uniquely hit by the pandemic and of the crucial need for government to continue its support. as a sector we are committed to promoting the incredible, varied and rewarding careers that hospitality has to offer.”
OpenTable Reveals Covid-19 Impact On Missed Celebrations After this disappointment, 1 in 3 (34%) say they now value eating out to celebrate more than before the pandemic, and slightly over half (51%) value eating with their friends and family more. Lockdown has also meant that 35% of the UK has had enough of meal prep as they value being cooked and served a meal more than they did before the Covid-19 outbreak. OpenTable has unveiled the extent of missed celebrations which were meant to take place in restaurants around the UK during the pandemic. Covid-19 has meant a third of Brits have unfortunately missed out on dining out for a special occasion. Nearly half of missed celebrations (44%) were birthday meal plans and 1 in 5 were Christmas restaurant reservations.
For Brits, when choosing where to dine out for a celebration, having a variety of food options tops the list at 52%, followed by dining somewhere local (42%). As well as staying local, it seems Brits are creatures of habit, with only 1 in 5 looking for somewhere new to try when choosing a restaurant for a celebration. After 28% of adult Brits had to cancel restaurant reservations to celebrate special occasions due to the pandemic at least once, only half of
these have been rebooked for another time, and nearly a third (29%) still plan to reschedule. The easing of all lockdown restrictions now means 81% of Brits feel comfortable dining at restaurants outdoors, with 70% feeling comfortable dining indoors. Lucy Taylor, VP for EMEA, OpenTable, commented, “Our data shows just how much people have missed out on in the past year and a half. “With restrictions lifted and restaurants welcoming back guests, it’s a great time to get that missed celebration back in the diary. ‘Whether it’s an award winning restaurant for an anniversary, your favourite local for Christmas or that hot new opening for a birthday, OpenTable has got diners covered for every celebratory moment.”