WHY IS THERE SUCH A SHORTAGE OF LABOUR IN EVERY INDUSTRY IN THIS COUNTRY?

[bluebell]

ive asked this before but why ? if its true that there is such a massive massive ive said it twice ? in every industry from the hospitality industry, such as bar work in resturants and pubs, now thats not so bad a job ? lorry drivers, 40,000 were mentioned in one paper to NHS workers, to construction workers, got to mention farm workers etc etc etc, why isnt the govt doing something about this ? with all what ive mentions surely there can be no excuse then for any person young or old not to be able to get a job . or is it not so simple , speaking from someone whos selfemployed worked since left school at 16, had no jollies at university or gap years travelling round the world ? just makes me so angry hearing this ?

 

[teslacoils]

Furlough.

 

[davidroberts30]

Theres too many lazy pansies that take a welfare cheque from those that do work
Who are the fools

 

[bluebell]

yes thats one reason , never seen so many fit young adults wondering around my village in the week?

 

[bluebell]

the welfare and all this free money ? will very soon have to be seriously looked at because whos the poor fools that work their arse off to then pay all sorts of taxes to pay it ?

 

[CornishTone]

My mother and sister own a cafe and an ice cream shop on the coast and have never found it so hard to find staff. And every shop in the town is in the same boat, whether they're in hospitality or not. Time was when kids would finish their exams and be scrabbling for a part time summer job so they could spend half the time on the beach and the other half earning some cash to spend at the beach. Now they're nowhere to be seen. It's a mystery!

 

[ARW]

There’s no incentive to work
Life is to easy

 

[Jim bean]

Some would see that as a step forward.

 

[womble8350]

I employ a lad just coming up to 30. He has a long term girl friend and a 2 year old and another on the way. He is paid a fair bit over minimum wage. Girlfriend worked right up to having the children. He has saved and bought a house as well. Now they are eligible to universal credits. We were having a bit of a chat one dinner and got onto the subject of how the amounts are paid. Essentially there joint income is made upto a set amount every month. In our quiet months he receives more universal credit. So we got digging and looked into this. The long and short of it he is only £25 a week worst of doing 12 hrs a week against 40. He would be better of dropping to 2 days a week and then stopping at home! There is no incentive to work you are not rewarded. You need a big step up the ladder to be a lot better off. Oh and have no more that 5k in the bank. It is only because of his mindset that he continues to work full time.

 

[jimred]

Because the difference in net income between working at lower end of wage scale and living on benefits is very small and even favours benefits in some cases. Also quite a few relatively routine jobs require qualifications, certificates etc. which prevents a barrier to entry.

 

[Breakthru]

Wages in the private sector have stood still since 2004/08. Naylor Farms now paying £20/hr to packhouse staff and £20 a day to turn up weekdays £30 for weekend days. B of E was expecting a wee bit of inflation this year and for it to subside next year. Take out the EU and antipodean workers and there is a shortage and their forecast is well off the mark. Everything I see and buy is between 20 and 100% up. Carrot and donkey, the only way to get people off the benefit treadmill is for work to pay much more. That is happening now. Flip side is half of them are unemployable.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I employ a lad just coming up to 30. He has a long term girl friend and a 2 year old and another on the way. He is paid a fair bit over minimum wage. Girlfriend worked right up to having the children. He has saved and bought a house as well. Now they are eligible to universal credits. We were having a bit of a chat one dinner and got onto the subject of how the amounts are paid. Essentially there joint income is made upto a set amount every month. In our quiet months he receives more universal credit. So we got digging and looked into this. The long and short of it he is only £25 a week worst of doing 12 hrs a week against 40. He would be better of dropping to 2 days a week and then stopping at home! There is no incentive to work you are not rewarded. You need a big step up the ladder to be a lot better off. Oh and have no more that 5k in the bank. It is only because of his mindset that he continues to work full time.

I remember years ago, one of the builders in Llanelli telling me, his ex apprentice left the firm, because he could be a "carer" for his girlfriend at home and get the same in benefits as his wages. He then wanted to come back to work, but work for "cash". His employer told him, no you either work for me on the books or you don't work for me.

 

[delilah]

lazy fudgers are all on the internet.
Oh, er....

 

[Vader]

My mother and sister own a cafe and an ice cream shop on the coast and have never found it so hard to find staff. And every shop in the town is in the same boat, whether they're in hospitality or not. Time was when kids would finish their exams and be scrabbling for a part time summer job so they could spend half the time on the beach and the other half earning some cash to spend at the beach. Now they're nowhere to be seen. It's a mystery!

Working means putting their phone down...
All dream of the easy life being an influencer

 

[Vader]

Wages in the private sector have stood still since 2004/08. Naylor Farms now paying £20/hr to packhouse staff and £20 a day to turn up weekdays £30 for weekend days. B of E was expecting a wee bit of inflation this year and for it to subside next year. Take out the EU and antipodean workers and there is a shortage and their forecast is well off the mark. Everything I see and buy is between 20 and 100% up. Carrot and donkey, the only way to get people off the benefit treadmill is for work to pay much more. That is happening now. Flip side is half of them are unemployable.

Or they get offered 3 jobs.
If they don't take 1 or find 1 themselves, benefit stops.
Why should they get it if a job us available?

 

[GeorgeK]

Government has decided the UK will be a high tech high value economy. The message is robots will do low paid jobs, low productivity work like farming and other primary industries isn't important and will be exported and everyone will spend 3 days a week designing space rockets in their garden offices.
The country will be so wealthy we'll barely need to work at all. In fact Wales wants to trial Universal Basic Income where everyone will get £213 a week regardless of employment, that'll help with the labour shortage .

 

[teslacoils]

Childcare costs make a big difference. Was cheaper to employ tractor driver and look after my child than to employ a nanny.

 

[Wilksy]

Not sure which government it was but they pushed hard for everyone to go down the further Ed university route, we’re not all cut out for working from the neck up and I hear of quite a few 20 somethings and 30 somethings with a degree and no idea what they want to do or doing a completely different job, I would imagine if those people had been steered into an apprenticeship they’d be well into a trade now without a big debt hanging round there necks from three wasted years at ‘uni’
Also I’m not sure kids can get Saturday jobs any more I worked Saturdays in a village shop from 13 to 15 on £15 a day and saved up for a moped, then straight into YTS as a joiner on £29 a week!, my daughter is 15 and I’d like to get her something similar but there does seem to be the jobs about or if they are allowed, that said she’s a lazy Sod!

 

[Goweresque]

I employ a lad just coming up to 30. He has a long term girl friend and a 2 year old and another on the way. He is paid a fair bit over minimum wage. Girlfriend worked right up to having the children. He has saved and bought a house as well. Now they are eligible to universal credits. We were having a bit of a chat one dinner and got onto the subject of how the amounts are paid. Essentially there joint income is made upto a set amount every month. In our quiet months he receives more universal credit. So we got digging and looked into this. The long and short of it he is only £25 a week worst of doing 12 hrs a week against 40. He would be better of dropping to 2 days a week and then stopping at home! There is no incentive to work you are not rewarded. You need a big step up the ladder to be a lot better off. Oh and have no more that 5k in the bank. It is only because of his mindset that he continues to work full time.

This is the reason, the tax credit/universal credit system. If you have children especially, there is a fixed level of income the system decrees that your needs entitle you to, and if you are 'unable' to earn that level of income they will give you the different between what you earn and what they consider you 'need' to live. Ergo for many people the rational thing to do is work part time and let the tax payer work for you for the rest of the week. Thereby gaining a huge amount of free leisure time. There is also no incentive to up skill and do more responsible work, because the system pays you the same if you work 20 hours at minimum wage or 20 hours at a higher rate. Unless your 40 hour week rate can be significantly higher than the universal credit deemed income you are trapped. And for people with kids it would take a very good job to match the income the benefit system says you are entitled to.

The only fly in the ointment is that there is a requirement to be looking for work and working as much as possible, and there are 'job coaches' who will be badgering people to go for interviews and take jobs that are available, and can remove entitlement to benefits if a person refuses. But in practical terms if you do 2-3 days a week they will leave you alone. Hence why everyone wants part time hours of the most simple jobs possible.

 

[Lowland1]

What does anyone expect. The Government has closed the economy to save everyone from Covid. It’s paying everyone to stay home and stay safe but i think more than that it has set a prescedent telling people work is not important and as such earning money is not important the State will look after you no matter what. On the bright side my daughter gets a fortnights work at Wimbledon because no one wants to do it and my Son has picked up a good harvest job that no doubt would have gone to some foreigner pre Brexit.