By Jacob Phillips
Companies in London’s world-famous shopping streets have struggled to hire thousands of workers needed to welcome tourists back after the pandemic.
Thousands of vacancies have been left vacant in the West End after shops, cafes and restaurants closed and visitors and shoppers stayed away.
Nationwide, there are 178,000 vacancies in the housing and food sector – the highest number since registrations began in 2001.
Westminster City Council is now investing £ 1 million in the area’s business improvement districts (BIDs) to try to fill thousands of hospitality and tourism jobs.
The New West End Company and the Knightsbridge Partnership, which represents around 900 companies in central London, will work to support companies struggling to hire staff in the wake of the pandemic.
The council hopes to employ 2,200 people in the area over the next two years.
Across the country, one in eight hospitality jobs is vacant, and Westminster City Council fears the number could be even higher for central London, and there will not be enough staff working when the number of tourists returns to the number of pre- pandemic.
The City Council’s new scheme will help to connect companies with jobseekers, colleges and education centers.
Westminster City Council will also examine what barriers may prevent people from entering the hospitality industry.
On top of the pandemic, 20 per cent of the shops in Oxford Street were forced to close their doors forever. Businesses on the iconic shopping street lost up to 80 percent of revenue.
Top of picture: Oxford Street (Photo: Tony Webster / Flickr)