Two-thirds of London businesses are struggling to hire due to a shortage of skilled workers
London’s businesses are calling out for skilled workers but 66 per cent have struggled to recruit the highly skilled workforce they need, according to research released yesterday by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and professional services firm KPMG.
As a result nearly half of London’s companies (45 per cent) now say that there is a skills shortage currently in the capital.
“To keep the capital internationally competitive, as well as attractive to skilled workers, policymakers need to look at further streamlining the visa system,” said CBI London director Lucy Haynes.
Of the shortages, those will skills in IT and technology (20 per cent), creative skills (14 per cent) and finance and engineering specialists (12 per cent), were of the most in demand and hardest to find. “Science, technology, engineering and maths skills are particularly valuable, given that London’s thriving creative and technology sector is set to be a big growth contributor over the next five years,” said Haynes.
The survey of 115 London firms also showed increasing optimism about the economy, with 59 per cent of those surveyed describing themselves as optimistic.