One in five employers say the cost and availability of housing is a barrier to recruitment, according to a survey by accountancy and consultancy firm PKF.
Of the 382 survey respondents at small-to-medium sized UK businesses, one-fifth mentioned the high cost of housing as problematic. This figure rose to 35% of respondents in London and the South-east of England.
Despite the tough economic situation, the survey found 38% of respondents were still recruiting, but finding technically skilled staff remained a problem.
PKF suggests that the growing number of young people going into higher education is decreasing the numbers available in the work pool, and subsequently increasing the number of graduates entering the job market with no immediate vocational skills.
The survey also highlights organizations structures as a problem in reciting, with the process labelled as low-priority and unimportant by many.
"Recruitment is a difficult, time-consuming and expensive process, which can’t be short-circuited," said Nick Winters, PKF’s growing business partner. In a difficult employment market, where there is a genuine and growing shortage of appropriately qualified candidates, growing businesses have to fight even harder to ensure they can attract and retain the right people.
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 26 June 2003