The rise in the minimum wage is piling pressure on employers, who are cutting back on hiring this summer amid broader fears of labour shortages in key sectors of the economy, according to new figures.
Data from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, an industry body, shows job postings for temporary summer jobs have fallen sharply in the hotel, restaurant, tourism and construction sectors in April and May, compared with the same months last year after a climb in the minimum wage.
Separate figures from Make UK, a lobby group for manufacturing companies, suggest that the sector is suffering from skills shortages that “have placed a ceiling on expansion potential” as businesses struggle to hire more workers. A recovery in manufacturing meant recruitment intentions had grown