Businesses struggling to recruit labour
About this Indicator
The ‘businesses struggling to recruit labour’ indicator looks at local businesses who are struggling to fill vacancies due to a lack of local labour.
| Indicator | 2018 Baseline | 2021 Target | 2028 Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Businesses struggling to recruit labour | 20% of businesses struggle to fill vacancies due to a lack of local labour | No more than 15% of businesses struggling to fill vacancies due to a lack of local labour | No more than 5% of businesses struggle to fill vacancies due to a lack of local labour |
Source
The data came from the Shetland Employment Survey by Shetland Islands Council in 2017.
Most recent data
The Shetland Employment Survey was due to be carried out again in 2020, however, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented this from happening. The survey has not been carried out since.
Why do we monitor this indicator?
Economic activity in Shetland remains very strong, with high employment and a productive business base. Sectors such as seafood, energy, engineering and tourism have seen considerable investment and increases in output over the last few years.
Despite its economic success, there are many challenges. Businesses in Shetland are struggling to recruit due to a shortage of skilled labour, with relatively low levels of inward migration and an ageing population demographic.
The growing proportion of older people in our population is not necessarily a problem in itself, as older people can and do make an enormously valuable contribution to the economy and their communities. Where the population balance is older, however, it will tend to be harder to sustain services and the economy.
Growing the working age population is a central aim of the Partnership and the restricted labour market means more needs to be done to attract and retain the working age population in Shetland for continued economic development.
The indicator contributes to monitoring the desired outcomes outlined in the Place priority of the Partnership Plan.
“Shetland will be attracting and retaining the people needed to sustain our economy, communities and services.”