Why bars, restaurants and hotels in Manchester are struggling to hire staff - and what’s being done about it

Hospitality businesses across Manchester are finding themselves with major staff shortages and struggling to recruit.

Whether it’s the loss of people who would take on temporary contracts, European employees heading home post-Brexit or simply ex-staff finding other jobs while the industry closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the sector is facing a testing time across much of the country.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s night-time economy adviser Sacha Lord last week said the workforce had been “decimated”.

Business groups are having to get creative to convince people that hospitality is a good long-term career choice.

How bad is the problem in Manchester?

Mr Lord, the city-region’s night tsar, said there were more than 2,500 hospitality vacancies across Greater Manchester last week.

He said workforce levels had fallen so low that some bars were having to shut mid-week as they simply did not have enough staff to remain open.

The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce also said it was hearing about “significant staff shortages”.

And Adrian Ellis, the Lowry Hotel general manager and chairman of the Manchester Hoteliers’ Association, described the situation as “challenging”, adding: “It would be unfair to say otherwise.”

Yet he says demand for hotel rooms in the city is growing, with around 60 per cent of rooms currently occupied and people looking to enjoy short breaks for leisure activities or celebrations of birthdays, wedding anniversaries and other major occasions.

Why are there such staff shortages?

There are a number of reasons why the industry is struggling to recruit, with the Chamber of Commerce’s director of policy and communications Chris Fletcher describing it as a “difficult and complex” issue.

He admits there have been issues in the sector around low levels of pay.

He said: “Let’s not beat around the bush, the wages the sector was paying were not great. The sector has woken up to that.”

Brexit has also played a significant role with many people who were in hospitality, particularly from Eastern Europe, leaving Britain in the last few years.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a further problem. Hospitality has endured some long shutdowns as part of the measures to slow the spread of coronavirus, leading to people choosing to continue their careers elsewhere.

Mr Ellis said: “Some people are now working in libraries or cafes, some have gone to work in retail, others have changed careers and some have set up their own businesses and are working from home.

“We have faced a bit of a drain from hospitality.”

It is also highly likely that universities working in a more Covid-secure way, with more online and remote learning, has had an impact as typically many students have sought to fund their studies and top up their bank accounts with work in cafes, bars, pubs and similar venues.

What is being done about it?

Faced with these difficulties the sector is having to think outside the box.

Mr Ellis said the hoteliers’ association has launched a programme with schools to encourage leavers to consider hospitality as a career option.

Work is also starting with schools and universities in Manchester to offer placements to gain experience, in the hope that seeing first-hand what is involved will encourage people in.

There is also an education programme aimed at retirees seeking part-time work and with a homelessness charity which offers people who have been on the streets training to get them back on their feet.

It is also hoped that students coming back to university in September and the end of the furlough scheme will have a positive impact on the number of people looking for jobs.

What are the career options in hospitality?

The Chamber of Commerce says that businesses are resilient and, even in difficult situations, talk of the demise of industries is premature.

Mr Fletcher said: “What we are seeing is long-standing issues in the labour market and local economy being magnified and coming back to the top after 16 months of upheaval.

“It has made tackling the existing issues with the system more urgent and acute.

“It will get back on an even keel, no-one should be writing various sectors’ obituary notices just yet.

“Businesses will do what they always do: adapt, grow and change.”

Mr Ellis argues hospitality is a fantastic option as a career as it is offers a varied working day and plenty of opportunities to be promoted and rise through the ranks.

He said: “I’ve been in the industry for 30 years, as have many of my colleagues, and we wouldn’t do anything different.

“It’s fast-moving, diverse, no two days are the same and there are great opportunities to progress.

“These days many general managers are in their late 20s or early 30s, so you can rise very quickly.

“Hopefully, we will restore the balance and improve our image and reputation.”