Survey finds 72% of Scottish bars can’t fill vacancies

Hospitality businesses in Scotland are facing a ‘continued barrage of economic challenges’, with nearly three-quarters of firms struggling to hire staff.

The summer survey by Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA), which covers the whole hospitality sector, including restaurants, bars and hotels, details the struggles faced by businesses due to macro and microeconomic conditions.

Recruitment remains a huge challenge for the sector, with 72% of respondents struggling to fill vacancies and 68% of outlets describing themselves as under-staffed.

The cost-of-living crisis is also affecting the industry, with a rise in supplier costs and wage inflation, although there are signs that utility costs are finally stabilising.

In light of these findings, the SLTA has called for further support from the government.

Paul Waterson, SLTA media spokesman, said: “Our sector plays a critical role in Scotland’s food and drink strategy and our survey highlights huge challenges in recruiting skilled staff.

“Some 68% of our respondents are operating with staff vacancies, and this has a domino impact on opening hours, the economic viability of our businesses and our role as a key part of Scotland’s tourism industry.

“Our survey is based upon quantitative research from outlets covering the length and breadth of the country and is supported by major food and drink chains and independent pubs, bars and hotels in Scotland’s hospitality sector.

“We have still not recovered from lockdown, and 58% of our respondents are still trading below pre-Covid levels, with two-thirds expecting the economy to decline in the next 18 months. In addition, 77% of members are seeing continued increases in utility charges and 95% see supplier costs rising.

“In previous surveys, we warned that it wouldn’t be economically viable for many outlets to remain open, and we are now seeing this come to fruition, with a worrying 9% of outlets either planning to close or considering options.

“Scotland’s pubs and bars face a continued barrage of economic challenges and we call on the UK and Scottish governments to assist us in dealing with these challenges.”

In August, a survey by Rekom UK revealed that more than a third of people have reduced how frequently they go on a night out due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Despite these findings, another August survey found that optimism among the UK’s hospitality leaders has risen.

Also in August, it was reported that the UK economy grew slightly, mainly due to food and drink businesses.