Guernsey hotels struggling to recruit workers
Hospitality businesses in Guernsey are struggling to recruit workers for the summer season, despite hundreds of islanders being unemployed.
At the end of April, the number of people registered as unemployed in the island fell to 569, a reduction of 173 on the previous month. There were 20 new claims for employment and income-related benefits, compared with 614 in February and 79 in March. Meanwhile, 472 vacancies were advertised through the Job Centre in April, the highest monthly figure on record.
Guernsey’s ports are expecting a surge in passengers from 1 July when normal travel resumes with the UK, Jersey, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland. However, employing workers from abroad is also proving to be a challenge, fueling fears that some hotels and restaurants will not have enough employees to open in time for what tour companies predict will be a busy summer.
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