Are hospitality staffing levels improving ahead of the festive season?
It could be a good summer for the hospitality industry if current trends listed by Seek are anything to go by.
After months of resourcing issues, it seems the tide is turning, and staffing levels are showing signs of recovery.
Despite the modest improvement, diners are still asked to practice patience, especially over the festive period, with venues that are still understaffed.
The good news according to Seek data is that in September there was a drop of 5.4% in advertised jobs in hospitality and tourism: applicants per job ad rose 22 per cent.
Note, there are still 100,000 workers required in the hospitality sector.
“It looks like we’ve seen a turning point in both those metrics,” Seek senior economist Matt Cowgill said. “The labour market seemed very tight, [but] it’s no longer getting tighter – it’s coming off a little bit.”
Victoria had the largest retraction in job ads, while NSW was at 9.8 per cent and Queensland at 6.4 per cent. In Victoria hospitality and tourism listings fell 14 per cent.
The opposite argument is that restaurants are cafes aren’t posting jobs.
Ashik Ahmed who runs timesheet and rostering platform Deputy said the picture is opposite to what Seek is painting.
“They’re just advertising less. As a matter of fact, nine out of 10 Deputy customers, especially in hospitality, are looking for new staff members,” Ahmed said.
Deputy commissioned its own report which found 27 per cent of hospitality employers plan on increasing staff hours and 42 per cent plan to raise wages and pay.
Ahmed did agree that more workers were entering the workforce, including baby boomers and mothers looking for flexible hours.
“What’s happening now is almost like an Uberisation of the workforce where the business owners are giving far more flexibility and control to the employee about they can choose their work life, as opposed to saying, ‘these are the shifts you’re doing’.”
Ahmed said the battle for talent will heat up over the festive season but said that under resourcing does lead to longer wait times.
“Be more compassionate to the businesses are short-staffed and not able to provide the service that they should provide,” he said. “People are at a breaking point.”
Irit Jackson - 24-10-22
