A Lake District town’s recruitment crisis is now at epidemic levels, according to worried business owners.
And with the crucial summer tourist season approaching, some have already been forced to close their doors due to a lack of staff.
Last week even national fast food chain Greggs temporarily shut its outlet in Keswick’s Market Square due to staffing shortages, while more than a dozen shops and cafes nearby have adverts in their windows appealing for full- or part-time workers.
Some are offering flexible working hours, travel allowances, and free meals in a desperate bid to attract staff. There are even reports of businesses buying guest houses and changing them to multi-occupation houses to accommodate employees.
The situation has been blamed on a lack of European workers, a dearth of local housing in Keswick due to the rise in holiday lets and second homes, and the lure of better-paid jobs in the so-called gig economy.
Roy Johnson, who has run Ladybug jewellery and gift shop on Main Street for 15 years, says he can’t remember a time like it.
“I’ve been advertising for part-time staff since March, and in that time I’ve had only two people applying,” he said. “One wasn’t suitable, and the other got a better offer somewhere else.
“I’ve pretty much given up now. It’s reached the stage where I’m considering closing one day a week.
“But you just have to take a walk up the street to see that everybody is in the same boat. It’s like an epidemic, and there’s no solution in sight as far as I can see.”
Last week the Reminder counted 17 businesses advertising for staff in Main Street, Market Square and Station Street alone. They range from independents like the Hungry Caterpillar café in Packhorse Court to nationwide chains like outdoor clothing retailer Tog 24.
One sign in the window says the Lakes Bar & Bistro is appealing for a chef and front of house staff, while another says the premises is closed due to staff shortages.
Meanwhile a lack of catering staff means busy town centre pubs like the Oddfellows and the George Hotel are no longer serving food.
Gary May, the new landlord at the George, said: “It’s hard to get staff. You had a situation during lockdown where hospitality businesses shut down and a lot of people who were laid off had to get alternative employment with the likes of Amazon. They aren’t coming back.”
Rob Walmsley, who runs Lakes Fish and Chips on Bank Street, says he is struggling to recruit part-time staff despite offering to pay 25 per cent above the minimum wage.
“The people who live here have jobs, while those who are looking for work can’t afford to live here,” he said.
Staff shortages are not confined to Keswick, of course. According to research by the Learning and Work Institute, there are 1.1 million fewer people in the workforce than before the pandemic.
While many have left the country, the drop is also blamed on more people working from home, and a steep rise in older workers – those aged 50 and over – leaving the workforce altogether.
With around 16 million visitors expected to flock to the Lake District this year, it has been argued that Keswick has become a victim of its own success as the area’s premier tourist destination.
“Lack of staff is a national issue and particularly acute in our town because of the success of our tourist trade here,” said local councillor Tony Lywood. “The problem is made even worse in Keswick because of a reduction in local housing available for those who live in our town on a permanent basis.
“The huge expansion of holiday lets has seriously affected the number of dwellings available for staff, so much so that some businesses have actually bought guest houses and changed them to multi occupation houses for their staff.
“It’s also a crying shame that there are areas in Cumbria with high levels of unemployment fairly close to Keswick but no public transport between the two,” Mr Lywood added.
