A recent survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) highlights some of the difficulties faced by Scottish businesses, with almost a quarter (24.5%) of companies reporting recruitment challenges in November last year. 

This number surpasses the national average of 20.7% during the same time. The survey came to the conclusion based on responses from 9,555 companies, 1,000 of which were in Scotland. 

The survey also depicted the varied landscape of recruitment in Scotland, with 43.1% saying they did not encounter any recruitment difficulties, and 17.9% being unsure about their experiences. 

Pamela Nash, chief executive of Scotland in Union, attributed the challenges to an “anti-business environment” created by the 16-year SNP tenure. 

“It’s bad news for Scotland that almost a quarter of businesses reported challenges in recruitment,” she said.  “That suggests that the opportunities on offer aren’t matching up to the skills available in our workforce, letting down both jobseekers and businesses.”

“The nationalists cannot simply shrug their shoulders and blame either Brexit or the UK Government – on this front the SNP has underperformed every single other part of the UK.”

Responding to the criticism from Scotland in Union, Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray attributed some of the challenges to the changes in immigration policy, which has hindered Scotland’s access to the international labour market. 

Especially in industries such as hospitality and agriculture, which were heavily reliant on non-UK workers, particularly from central and eastern Europe according to a report from the Scottish government. 

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“With full powers over migration, Scotland could boost its workforce and tackle recruitment challenges, many of which have been caused by the end of free movement and the Brexit imposed on Scotland by the UK Government,” said Gray. 

As businesses strive to overcome these hurdles, policymakers face the ongoing task of addressing concerns and fostering an environment conducive to both employers and job seekers.

Recently a number of changes to legal migration rules to the UK were announced, that would further exacerbate the already present recruitment challenges. The baseline minimum salary for a skilled worker visa will be raised from £26,200 to £38,700 in the spring, along with the minimum income required to sponsor someone for a spouse visa rising to £38,700 as well. 

According to Statista, the average salary for hospitality and agriculture workers are around £24,000 and £29,000 respectively. This postures these industries – which are already experiencing massive disparities in recruitment – for further challenges once the minimum skilled worker visa requirements are changed.