Industry struggling to recruit warehouse workers after post-pandemic "mass exodus"

Demand for warehouse workers in the UK has rocketed, with the number of online job adverts almost doubling in some areas of the country, according to research.

The North East showed the biggest increase in adverts, with 1,050 placed in December 2022, compared to 530 in 2019: a 98.1% rise.

Indeed Flex, the online staffing app that analysed the data, said the pattern was repeated across the UK, with employers struggling to find staff for warehouse jobs.

Scotland saw a 60% increase in job adverts at the end of 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels and the South East had the highest overall number of vacancies, with 6,875 positions advertised online in December 2022 compared to 4,580 in December 2019.

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Logistics UK has warned of a crisis in warehousing and the UK Warehousing Association’s chief executive Clare Bottle previously blamed Brexit for causing significant recruitment problems that were harder to resolve than in professional driving.

Novo Constare, Indeed Flex chief executive, said: “The logistics industry is not alone in its struggle to fill positions - it’s a problem facing most sectors right now.

“During the pandemic, warehouse staff were classified as essential workers and many turned to the sector to see them through furlough or support them after a job loss.

“But as life returned to normal and people went back to their previous jobs, warehouses across the country experienced a mass exodus of staff and a lot of companies haven’t recovered since.”