MPs launch inquiry into hospitality staff shortages

MPs have launched an inquiry into the issue of staff recruitment and retention in the hospitality industry.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Hospitality and Tourism is looking to explore why the industry has such a high number of staff vacancies and how it can respond.

It is asking businesses to make submissions to its inquiry, which will end by making a series of recommendations to government.

The number of unfilled hospitality roles has remained steadily above 100,000 since the start of the pandemic in 2020, and many staff members also returned overseas after Brexit.

There were 112,000 vacant hospitality jobs at the end of 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), up from 89,000 before the pandemic.

The inquiry wants to hear from businesses about the barriers they face to recruitment, the impact of zero-hours contracts on staff, and how operators are being impacted by the government’s focus on encouraging firms to hire UK-born workers.

Members of the APPG include Simon Jupp (East Devon, Con), Alex Sobel (Leeds North West, Labour), Giles Watling (Clacton, Con) and Steve Double (St Austell and Newquay, Con), while UKHospitality acts as secretariat.

Jupp said: "Staffing challenges in hospitality and tourism have continually been raised by businesses as persistent problems that negatively impact trading.

“Given how important the people who work in hospitality and tourism are to the experiences they help deliver, it’s important that the APPG takes the time to investigate this issue.

“I’m pleased to launch this inquiry today and I want businesses and representatives of the sector to enable the members of the APPG to understand the issues and make appropriate recommendations to government on where it can support.

“This is a broad inquiry and I hope to hear from as many people involved in hospitality and tourism as possible.”

The deadline for submissions of written evidence is 14 June.

Submissions should be no longer than 1,500 words and can be sent to: policy@ukhospitality.org.uk

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