Hospitality job vacancies soar

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Job vacancies across the hospitality sector more than doubled between May and July, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Vacancies in accommodation and food service grew by 73,000 across the quarter, a rise of 163.7% compared to the previous three months.

Demand for labour increased as Coronavirus restrictions eased through the spring into the summer.

Across the UK, there were an estimated 953,000 job vacancies in May to July - a record high, having grown by 43.8% (290,000) compared with the previous quarter.

The unemployment rate fell to 4.7% in the three months to June, while the annual growth in average pay was 7.4%.

The fastest rate of growth was seen in arts, entertainment and recreation, which grew by 267.1% (23,000). 

Vacancies in accommodation and food service surpassed its pre-pandemic peak by the largest margin of any sector, now 33,000 (39.1%) above its January to March 2020 level.

The figures come at a time when the hospitality sector is still wrestling with an acute staffing crisis, with data last month suggesting the sector is facing a shortage of more than 200,000 workers.

A survey of over 350 businesses operating tens of thousands of venues, carried out jointly by UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII), found that 100% of businesses currently have vacancies; mainly front-of-house (84%), non-head chefs (67%) and kitchen porters (36%). A third are experiencing managerial role vacancies.