“The big call from business and the constraint on growth is the availability of ready to work talent” said Chamber Chief Executive, Michael Barnett.
Over 43% of respondents claim difficulty in getting the right people with ready to use skills.
“What surprises me is that with immigration at high levels, and supposedly skill focused, business is still having difficulty recruiting good people” Barnett said.
“I am aware that the region still has a huge demand from truck drivers to technology skills and the situation is not improving – it’s a challenge for business and Government.”
Other findings:
- A net 55% of business leaders believe the economy will continue to improve
- 43% of respondents are having difficulty recruiting talent
- 30% expect employee numbers to be up
- 38% expect costs to rise and 28% expect selling prices to increase
- 41% expect profitability to improve.