Migrant workers 'fill skills gaps' in businesses

News Article - 24 May 2012
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Two-thirds of London employers believe skills shortages will be the biggest obstacle to business growth during the next six months, a report has shown.

Research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and audit firm KPMG found that along with skills shortages, company bosses are also concerned about the upward pressure on wages as a side-effect.

In a bid to address the skills deficiency, employers are increasingly turning to migrant workers, the survey shows.

Almost half of those questioned said they relied on the staff from Europe while 37 per cent employed workers from non-European countries.

Richard Lambert, director-general of the CBI, said: "London is a vibrant and dynamic international city which attracts talented people from across the world to live and to work, yet this survey lays bare the skills shortages which employers are facing."

He added that economic migrants may be hired to fill skills gaps in the short-term but that the solution is not sustainable in the long-term.

To address the problem, standards need to be raised, he said.

Recently, the CBI welcomed the announcement by the government that it would review the employment tribunal system, which the CBI described as "still not working" two years after its implementation.

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