Vacancies fall by 33%

Commitments made in UKHospitality's (UKH) Workforce Strategy, launched in May 2022, helped bring hospitality vacancies down by 57,000 at the peak of the industry's staff crisis. 

In a significant update on the strategy's progress since its launch, the sector now boasts record levels of employment in accommodation and foodservice with 2.7 million people employed, according to the Office for National Statistics. 

The progress update summarises achievements over the past 18 months that have helped businesses recruit and develop their talent pipeline, including:

• An enhanced partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions, resulting in the launch of a new employment programme to help the economically inactive back to work 
• The majority of local authorities including hospitality in Local Skills Improvement plans
• Launch of the Hospitality Wellbeing and Development Promise
• Major reform of the childcare system by the government

UKH chief executive Kate Nicholls comments: "High levels of vacancies have plagued hospitality for years and what this update shows is that huge progress has been made to reduce the overall vacancy rate by a quarter.

"We can't kid ourselves that the work is complete because there is plenty more to do, but what we can and should do is recognise the achievements driven by our Workforce Strategy. 

"Recruitment, skills and training, working lives, the image of the sector and infrastructure were pinpointed in the strategy as key areas of focus and they remain the driving force behind our work.

"Whether it's the partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions to help recruit those currently out of work, making hospitality a focus in Local Skills Improvement Plans or making our businesses better places to work through a focus on wellbeing, we can see real achievements in each area.

"Being able to see such a significant reduction in vacancy numbers since the launch of the strategy is heartening to see and is a testament to the work taking place in hospitality businesses across the country. There's still a long way to go but I'm confident we're on the right path to making hospitality's offering top of the class across the economy."

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