Almost half of businesses in the South West are experiencing a shortage of skilled workers, new analysis has found.
A study drawing on data from the Office for National Statistics found 44% of firms based in the region were impacted by the shortages - more than in any other part of the country and 8% above the national average.
According to the research Wales had the second highest percentage of companies with recruitment struggles (42.5%), fractionally ahead of the East Midlands (42.2%).
Tax relief specialist Access2Funding, which is behind the study, said as a result of the lack of staff, 58% of businesses in the South West had employees working overtime, while 40% said they were unable to meet demands.
Dawn Coker, managing director of Access2Funding, said the figures correlated with a recent Oxford University study, which found the rise in vacancies in the UK was highest in jobs that relied “most heavily” on EU workers pre-pandemic, such as hospitality and warehouse and transport workers.
The data showed that businesses “undertaking human health and social work activities” reported the most worker shortages (56%), followed by those working in the accommodation and food service sector (52%), transportation and storage (37%), construction (37%) and manufacturing (35%).
Ms Coker said: “It was quite alarming to discover that the skilled worker shortage in the south west is 8% higher than the UK average. Unfortunately, attracting and retaining talent is one of many challenges businesses are facing right now that hinders business growth, however a glimmer of hope can be found in various government tax relief schemes and grant funding that supports innovation.”
The analysis also found around a third of South West businesses said their main concern for the next month was inflation of goods and services prices, while 26% energy prices were what they were most worried about.
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