Region’s firms plan to hire more says report

Research carried out by accountancy firm BDO suggests that businesses in the region plan to hire more people to support growth in 2022.

More than a quarter of medium-sized businesses intend to increase the size of their workforce over the next 12 months, with 18% planning to pay staff more in order to attract and retain talent.

The bi-monthly Rethinking the Economy survey of 500 medium-sized businesses revealed that Midlands companies remain optimistic about recovery post-pandemic, with 38% expecting to return to pre-Covid-19 revenues.

However, 32% of firms in the region said that finding enough people with the right skill-set was one of their biggest concerns, with a particular challenge around the number of available apprentices.

Tim Foster, partner at BDO based in the Midlands, said: “The recruitment challenges facing Midlands businesses are well documented and the war on talent is very real.

“The task of finding the right people to fill a growing number of vacancies transcends sectors, levels and specialisms.”