Small firms call for action as job vacancies driven by long-term sickness hit record high

The Federation of Small Businesses said the government needs to limit visa fees if small firms are to compete with bigger businesses in the global talent crisis.

FSB national chair Martin McTague said the latest Office of National Statistics figures revealing the increasing number of people now not in the labour market due to long-term illness mean small firms are still competing for the limited number of workers on the job market.

And without more government action, small firms can’t fill the increasing number of job vacancies.

“It’s concerning to see that the number of those economically inactive due to long-term sickness is at a record-high — this is a stark reminder that more needs to be done to support people with long-term sickness into employment, which is crucial to our economic growth,” Mr McTague said.

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