North Wales hit with hospitality staffing crisis despite boom in staycations and surge in tourists
Hotels, bars and restaurants are struggling to recruit workers in what looks like the region's busiest ever summer
Now exclusive figures from Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) show the scale of vacancies in Wales, as the region looks to capitalise on a bumper year for visitors.
In June, when pubs and restaurants were getting ready for “Freedom Day” on August 9, there were 5,837 vacancies in the hospitality sector in Wales.
That’s more than twice the 2,497 vacancies recorded in June 2019.
Kitchen and catering assistants were the most wanted across the country this June, with 2,195 open positions (up from 888 in 2019), followed by 1,869 vacancies for chefs (up from 847) and 497 bar staff jobs (up from 205 in 2019).
It comes after a bi-annual report of UK destinations, published by Sykes Holiday Cottages,saw North Wales dislodged Devon and Cornwall from the top spot for 2021, for summer holidays.
The top three locations in Wales include two in the north, Anglesey and Llandudno, with Barmouth named the third fastest-growing destination in the UK and Menai Bridge (Porthaethwy) in sixth spot.
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https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-hit-hospitality-staffing-21290775