Business News Round Up (04/10/2021)
Staff shortages hitting a quarter of businesses, survey reveals
Staff shortages are putting severe pressure on mid-sized businesses across the country, new research suggests. A survey of 500 companies found one in four are struggling to operate normally because of a shortage of workers. Business advisory firm BDO said more than a quarter of firms it surveyed revealed that reduced stock caused by supply chain disruption is also putting pressure on their operations. Over a third of respondents said they have reduced product lines and services and expect these cuts to be long-term. A similar number predicted that the pricing of their products or services will need to increase in the next few months. The shortage of workers was blamed by many on Brexit and the pandemic, while two in five said their top recruitment challenge is the unavailability of staff in their region.
Scotland’s visitor attractions ‘battle to stay in business’
The latest survey of Scotland’s visitor attractions has revealed that the impacts of the pandemic continue to devastate the sector – and it has seen no evidence of a ‘staycation boom’. Conducted on behalf of the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) by Glasgow Caledonian University’s Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Development, the research highlights that survival, rather than recovery, is the current priority for operators. Less than half of the sector (48.1%) is currently fully open and more than one in 10 attractions remain closed. A further 40.9% are operating with reduced hours or limited facilities because of the impacts of both the pandemic and Brexit. ASVA chief executive Gordon Morrison said: “The pandemic has had a truly devastating impact on Scotland’s visitor attractions and these latest results provide further evidence that this impact is still very much being felt. I cannot emphasise strongly enough that, despite a number of media reports to the contrary, there’s been no ‘staycation boom’ or widespread economic recovery for our sector this year, and we face a very challenging winter period ahead. With very few international visitors and restrictive regulations that severely limited viable trading throughout the spring and summer, the window of opportunity to trade successfully has been extremely limited and, as a result we’re still concerned about the survival, not the recovery, of much of our sector as we move into the off-season.”
https://www.insider.co.uk/news/scotlands-visitor-attractions-battle-stay-25114426
PWC Tech Hub in Manchester to create 1,000 new jobs
PwC has confirmed it will create up to 1,000 jobs over three years at a newly launched technology hub in Manchester. The technology focused roles are in addition to existing recruitment of 3,000 people per year. At least 100 of the new jobs are being recruited immediately for the tech hub which will be located at the firm’s Manchester office at 1 Spinningfields where 1,400 people are currently based. The hub will focus on developing technology products and assets for use across PwC’s business and to support client work. Demand for digitisation, AI and data analytics services has increased significantly as pandemic recovery and a greener future drives transformation. Kevin Ellis, chairman and senior partner, said: “The opening of our technology hub reflects the critical and growing role of new technologies to our business and our clients. It also underscores our commitment to regional growth and supporting regional rebalancing. More than half of our staff are now based outside London and that proportion will continue to grow.”
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/north-west/pwc-new-tech-hub-in-manchester-to-create-1000-new-jobs
Mental health charity calls for future of work commission
A leading mental health charity has called on the Scottish and UK governments to set up a commission to help improve workplace wellbeing. Mental Health Foundation in Scotland (MHF) said a Future of Work Commission could help ensure post-pandemic labour practices support mental wellbeing. Its suggestions include exploring the benefits of shorter working hours. The charity would also like to see new measures brought in to reduce job insecurity. The call came as the UK government’s furlough scheme aimed at protecting workers’ jobs drew to a close. MHF envisages a commission composed of public and private sector employers and workers, as well as government and mental health group representatives. Although employment law is a reserved matter, the Scottish government operates a fair work strategy which includes the devolved employment support service, Fair Start Scotland.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-58721720