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The phasing out of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), or furlough scheme, at the end of September will not help to ease staff shortages, the Confederation of British Industry warns. Labour supply shortages could last for up to two years and will not be solved by the ending of the furlough scheme this month, Tony Danker, the CBI’s Director-General, has warned. This is despite Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, arguing that the winding down of the furlough scheme will “ensure UK-based workers are better able to secure decent employment opportunities”, easing the shortfall in HGV drivers. However, this is only one of many industries which are currently facing shortages in skilled staff, leading to various calls for action. Specifically, the CBI has argued that combining skills policies with the highest unfilled vacancies and making the Apprenticeship Levy more flexible could help to ease this problem. In addition, the Government adopting a more flexible stance when it comes to immigration may also ease shortages in staff. The body states this could be done through adding certain roles such as butchers and bricklayers to the Shortage Occupation list. Without this, economic recovery could be stunted as labour shortages are a growing constraint
