Scarborough hospitality industry suffering recruitment issue
It's after a survey shows 80 percent of businesses are struggling to recruit
There are fears restaurants, bars and hotels across Scarborough will not be able to open fully once restrictions lift due to mass staff shortages.
It is as a survey by UK hospitality shows 80 percent of businesses are struggling to recruit front of house, waiting-on and bar staff as well as chefs in the kitchen.
John Senior, Chairman of the South Bay Traders Association in Scarborough, said:
"We're suffering a recruitment issue. It's very, very difficult to find staff at the moment particularly into the hospitality industry and we're not really sure why that's the case, because we've always had a really good relationship with young people and people wanting part time and full time work, but this year it's been extraordinary. It's been really difficult to find particularly summer jobs.
"I think there's been a lag because of furlough and we've all fallen into the trap of getting used to being at home and that's something we've all had to deal with. I also think that perhaps Brexit has had something to do with it because a lot of our eastern European staff which we have come to rely on in this country, particularly in the hospitality industry, have found it very difficult to get back into the UK.
"We're having to pay more for our staff which is putting an upward pressure on prices but also we're not able to operate at capacity so we're going to be struggling perhaps next year to pay our taxes etc mainly because we're operating at the moment at 70 percent capacity and when that begins to come off, we need more capacity and at the moment we're not going to be able to fill that because we just won't have the staff.
"We already are suffering huge waiting lists for people queuing who are waiting for tables, can't get bookings and it's not ideal for them but also for the hospitality industry; we all go out and eat and enjoy the local pubs etc and we too in the industry can't get served neither so we're slower to get back to our own jobs so it's a bit of a vicious circle really."