NEARLY a quarter of Scottish businesses struggled to recruit workers in November, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The statutory body surveyed 9,555 companies across the UK, more than 1,000 of which were based in Scotland.
It found that 24.5 per cent of Scottish firms had recruitment difficulties, compared to a UK average of 20.7 per cent over the same period.
Constitutional lobbyist, Scotland in Union’s Pamela Nash, seized on the statistics as evidence that the SNP had created “an anti-businesses environment, driven down standards in education and completely neglected our vital colleges sector.”
She said: “The nationalists cannot simply shrug their shoulders and blame either Brexit or the UK government — on this front the SNP has underperformed every single other part of the UK.”
STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said the figures were a wake-up call to businesses to boost terms and conditions.
She said: “A number of factors have contributed to declining retention levels and recruitment issues in Scotland, including changes to immigration policies over the last few years, an ageing workforce and the continuing prevalence of insecure contracts.
“Employers in Scotland need to ensure that they are providing workers with decent contracts, a real living wage, job security and access to unions.
“Only when we have truly fair work will we see improvements in retention.”
SNP well-being economy secretary Neil Gray acknowledged “recruitment challenges” in agriculture and hospitality.
He said: “The UK government’s proposed changes to immigration policy will further prevent access to the international labour market that Scotland needs for our economy to prosper.
“With full powers over migration, Scotland could boost its workforce and tackle recruitment challenges, many of which have been caused by the end of free movement and the Brexit imposed on Scotland by the UK government.”
