Skills shortages in the UK are at their worst level for 12 years, with more than half of companies reporting difficulties in finding skilled workers in the past year.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
The Business in Britain study by Lloyds TSB found 52 per cent of firms had experienced sustained difficulties in recruiting staff.
More than a quarter of firms – 28 per cent – were experiencing similar difficulties in finding unskilled workers.
Regionally, firms in the east Midlands were facing the biggest challenge, with 62 per cent experiencing a shortfall in the numbers of skilled candidates available.
Peter Navin, banking director at Lloyds TSB Corporate, said: "Traditional employment pulls such as wages and benefits packages help maintain a competitive edge.
"By continuing to invest in management, training and resources, we can wage the war for talent with confidence."
Last week the Government launched a new strategy to address the issue.
Its white paper included creating a new National Employer Training Programme to provide free workplace training up to the equivalent of 5 GCSEs and setting up "skills academies" to provide industry-specific training.