MORE than half of employers in the county had difficulty recruiting in the first three months of the year.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce released its latest figures, which showed that in the first quarter of this year, 53 percent of businesses in Herefordshire attempted to recruit.

And of these businesses, 54 percent had difficulty in finding staff suitable, with more than half of these looking for skilled workers but also 25 percent encountering problems employing unskilled and semi-skilled labour.

With the unemployment level in the county still low at 3.8 percent, a pub owner in Ewyas Harold said there does not seem enough people to fill jobs.

Gill Jinman, from the Temple Bar Inn, said there seems to be an issue across the county, yet there is always talk about “job creation” in Herefordshire.

She said: “We have been struggling ourselves for about a year to get staff. The bad news is that many businesses – hospitality, retail, care homes and agencies, fruit farms and more – can’t get the staff they need, and the situation is getting worse.”

The pub is run by her daughter, Philly, who is also head chef, along with her partner, Dave Hope, and they have to work long hours to fill the gaps.

Mrs Jinman and her husband, Peter, also have to step in to help.

Mrs Jinman said: “This is a problem for our increasingly ageing population, our tourism industry and other local businesses.

“It is worse in the rural areas because the public transport isn’t that good and if we are looking for someone we need them to work weekends and evenings.”

Glyn Bufton, who runs the nearby Bridge Inn in Michaelchurch Escley, has also found it difficult to fill vacancies.

“I struggle to get good people,” he added. “I have been putting adverts out for six months. Everyone seems to be looking for staff at the moment.

“I think it is not seen as a career for most people.”

Sophia Haywood, policy manager at the chamber, said: “This shows it is not just a skills issue anymore but also a labour market issue. I think there is some wider work to be done about growing Herefordshire as a place for retaining young people.”