WATCH: Li Jianhua speaks to those hit hard in the industry

As the summer holiday continues around the UK, it's one of the busiest times of the year for the hospitality industry. However, many businesses have been struggling to recruit.

‌Mounir Cherkaoui has been running his coffee shop Lever and Bloom in London for about nine years, and his business is one of those to feel the pinch of staff shortages, mainly due to COVID and Brexit.

"Just after the pandemic, it is very difficult to hire in the hospitality business because we cannot find any workers," he said.

"I think the Brexit has a big part in this. The Brexit was a big hit for the UK. A lot of the European workers have all left the country. If I have a good team, I can open a few branches. At the moment, we have a big labor shortage. The government has to do something to help us so we can grow it. We can take the business to a different level."

'Staffing in serious crisis'

‌Vacancies across the UK's hospitality industry stood at about 132,000 in May this year, 48 percent higher than before the pandemic, according to the trade body UK Hospitality.

A report by the House of Lords found that around 560,000 people in the UK have become "economically inactive" since the pandemic hit the country and early retirement among the over 50s has been a main driver.

A survey commissioned by hospitality recruitment platform Barcats to gauge the possibility of tapping into the over 50s and bringing them back into the workforce has interesting findings. 

The findings show that about 72 percent of pub and restaurant bosses agree that having more over 50s on the payroll could fix the workforce crisis that has put thousands of businesses on the brink of bankruptcy.

CEO of Barcats, Jeffrey Williams, said the research shows a great majority of restaurant owners surveyed said staff over 50s would give their business a boost.

"The first step is come and get some training," Williams said. "Come and get a stepping stone where I feel braver because I've got a little badge where I know how to pull the perfect pint or make a great drink or carry three plates. So if I can learn some of those skills online, then I'll feel braver about actually applying for a job."

‌However, some are wondering whether the idea is attractive to the over 50s.

‌"There are two different groups here. Those who financially are quite secure almost certainly won't come back," said Professor Hilary Ingham from Lancaster University. "There are others that with the current cost of living crisis, might be reassessing the position they're in.

"What makes jobs attractive for most people are actually wages. But a small wage increase I don't think is going to attract these people back into the workforce, certainly not to go into the hospitality sector."

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Will government help?

‌Earlier in March, the UK government relaxed immigration rules for skilled workers. However, hospitality occupations were not included, with the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) saying the recommendation can only be done "based on particular strong evidence."

"One possibility will be the industry could try and lobby Government to get [hospitality] added to that list," added Professor Hilary.

‌Nonetheless, this is in opposition to UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman's campaign to get net migration down into tens of thousands by the end of 2024.

The Daily Telegraph said the British Government is mulling over "boot camps" to get the unemployed people back to work and help fill over 100,000 vacancies.

It is understood job candidates in the camps will train on basic hospitality skills such as food preparation and food safety, preparing them to easily take up roles in the UK's hospitality industry.

With the summer season in full swing, it remains to be seen how the hospitality industry will adapt to the current staffing crisis and provide customers - domestic and overseas - with the quality of service expected.

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