UK | Labour shortages are more a nibble than a bite
Construction and, to a lesser extent, manufacturing and agriculture were the only UK sectors to suffer significant labour shortages in July, according to our new proprietary index of hiring mismatches. Labour shortages spiked in the early stages of the pandemic due to the lockdown, huge take up of the furlough scheme, and migrant workers leaving the UK. But since then, the dearth of workers has eased significantly.
What you will learn from this report:
- Only construction, manufacturing and agriculture are
currently experiencing bigger mismatches than normal - Despite the well-publicised shortage of HGV drivers, mismatches in the transport sector as a whole were below average levels in July
- Two sectors report mismatches in line with long-run average
levels
Tags:
Related Services

Post
Firms must brace for higher ‘new normal’ construction material prices
New research by Oxford Economics suggests that construction materials prices have shifted permanently higher due to the shocks of the past couple of years. Project managers and investors should anticipate costs being at least 15-20% higher in 2024 and onwards than in 2021.
Find Out More
Post
New Activity Trackers suggest momentum is waning
After a choppy first quarter of GDP data, our novel Activity Trackers (which incorporate proprietary daily sentiment data from Penta) suggest that economic momentum in EM Asia is on a softer trend in Q2 (at least outside of China) supporting our view of easing underlying inflationary pressures and diminishing appetite for further rate hikes.
Find Out More